


The Child of Thra

by FallenSurvivor



Category: The Dark Crystal (1982), The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-27
Updated: 2020-03-23
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:14:41
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 27,344
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21984256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FallenSurvivor/pseuds/FallenSurvivor
Summary: What happens when a hardened warrior finds a lost princess? Better yet, what happens when she steals his heart and he finds himself more than will to commit the worst of all of Thra's wrongs to protect her.Gurjin's life will be turned upside down.But, wasn't it upside down to begin with?
Relationships: Gurjin/Seladon (Dark Crystal)
Comments: 15
Kudos: 20





	1. Labor

Gurjin heaved his staff upon his shoulders, balancing the two hung jars on either side of it for a moment. With one deep breath of hot, dry air that scratched his gills, he walked across the entire secret oasis, settled at the center of a circle of pale crystal cliffs lost and unfounded at some part of crystal dessert. He climbed the zigzag trail up the rock face and into a protected cave. Here only a hand full of feet into the cave was his home that Gurjin, himself cut into the rock in the early trine of his self-isolation. 

It was easier to be away from other gelf. And he highly valued the solitude.

Yet, he was dragging extra water, water he sifted, filtered, and boiled care, to his home for Don. He found Don, and abandoned gelfling, during his return journey from the great coastal markets after selling his wares and lugging back his goods for the year. 

But the moment he found her hunched against a large crystal outcrop, trying to shelter form the beating sun, he suddenly wanted to be around his own kind again. She spoke softly, even in the quiet dessert, and his soul rested in a way it hadn’t for a long time. For too long it has been raised din anger at his past. At the bloodied steel he wielded with such ease. 

He brought her to his home, where he laid out fresh clothes of his finest materials he owned and settled her into the mattress of his bed while he took to the rock floor. Gurjin prepared extra food for her and the babe within her, and even scraped food off his plate and onto hers at the end of the evenings. She finally gained a heathy weight, with fresh rosiness in her check versus the dark hollowness of her emaciated form before he found her. 

Since her arrival only days ago, he was eager to settle her in for a lifetime. Would she stay here with him? Would she want anything to do with a lost prince?  
He slowed his steps as he approached the wood door of his home to both shift the weight of his burden and slowly push the door open, quietly. She was having pains late last night, and now he worried her childling was racing into their world. 

“Don?” He whispered when he heard no noise. Perhaps she fell to sleep finally. Or, did she leave? He heard the sound of sheets shifting and his wood bed creaking. As he entered, the window was propped open. She was kneeling on the bed as she secured the window and illuminated the room. She had set up very shinny plates of metal around the room where the brothers shone through to refract light all around. He never had so much light in his home before her. “Better?”

The Vapran settled back, then brought her hands to her swollen stomach as she shook her head. “No, faster even. At this rate, I’ll have the baby today.” She seemed utterly dejected. And sad. She was always so sad, like the last dredges of her broken heart were dragging her down to Thra itself. 

Gurjin recognized Don’s sad look, He remembered when his own armor and weapons, and the actions he partook with them, weighted him down. Don’s poor soul sang so sadly, and every bit of him tried to sing back to her. He wanted her to smile at least once. 

“I am excited to meet them.” He raced from the swamps of Sog to hide away from other beings and here he was, nearly vibrating with energy as he awaited the freshling as he cared for it’s mother. Gurjin hummed as he settled the jars into tripodal holders, “At least, I think I am. Don, do you want to meet the babe?” He dipped water out with a wood cup and turned to her, holding it out.

She sighed then, with grunts, moved herself onto her knees. “Yes, of course. She is my daughter. And I will love her with every drop of who I am, the way I never was.” Her feet slipped to the floor as she took the offered cup and brought it to her lips. She sipped gently. Delicately. The few vaprans he knew were stuffy and arrogant, but she was graceful and deliberate with all she did. 

He turned to the door and opened it to allow the cool draft, wafting off the cool waters of his oasis. He set his staff outside the door frame before her returned to his Vapran guest. 

“A girl?” 

She nodded then brushed her white hair before her ears. She had unbraided it from the delicate style when she first bathed in the oasis waters, but she refused to braid them since. “May I brush your hair?” He asks softly.

She cocked her head to the side as her yellow eyes ran over him, in the same piercing gaze she first laid upon him when they first met, but finally nodded. “Can you braid it away from my face? I will need my hair out of the way when I give birth.” He grabbed up a soft burr bristle brush that was gifted to him many trine ago. The silver gilded tool was a reward to his deeds, no, they were misdeeds, and he had no need of it until now, and he was glad he had kept the ridiculous thing. 

As he raced around the wood bed and climbed on to get behind her, Gurjin carefully took her hair into his hands and brough the brush through it. As the soft bristles ran over her scalp she hummed, “good?”

“Yes.” She purred. Then her whole body tensed as her free hand cupped her stomach. “Helps distract.” And he continued brushing her hair, then braiding it. He was embarrassed to say that he only knew a Stonewood war plait style. Perhaps she would not know nor see. He should learn vapran plaits the next time he went to the coast. After all, she might let him braid her hair and that of her daughterling. 

“Ah!” her back arched as she took several sharp breaths. He tied off the ribbon that secured her hair, and shifted back.

“Please,” Gurjin murmered, “lay on the bed.”

“No,” She hummed, “gravity helps babies.” She held out her free hand, “Help me up. I need to walk.” And he did. Supporting her weight, he helped her to her feet and they shuffled outside to a small sitting and resting area he had set up for her. There were two chairs and a table and he intended to obtain a spriton rocking chair for her too, after all, she used this area more since they met than he ever did.

A canopy was pulled taught from strings extending form his home, one side of the cliff face, and a thick wooden pole that once held up a Sifan elders tent, the paint and decorated wood could attest to that and he hoped she liked the art. 

He wanted to give her pretty things. 

As they circled the area many times, resting in seats, then rising to circle again, the third brother snuck into the sky, none the less, Gujin kept Don to the cooler shadows of the canopy. A sound reached his ears and a smell wafted off her. “What’s happened?”

“I,” She gasped as her hands rubbed at the base of her stomach. “It’s time for me to go back to the bed. The babe is coming.” She ground out the last of it, clenching at his hands with a strength he was not prepared for. The girl continued to surprise him. 

He looked down at her, his form a good head and shoulders taller that her, as she waivered and misstepped. He grabbed her up and pulled her to him. Her hands crested his shoulders and she nestled into his neck as he strode to his home. Don’s body spasmed in his hands. “Oh, baby.” Don let out breathlessly, “oh, baby’s coming.” 

Gurjin carried Don back to his home and settled her into bed where her body spread out as she breathed quick breathes, a sheen of sweat already upon her lovely pale skin. Gurjin scooped more water from one of the jars and pressed it into her hands. As she slurped at the water, he pulled out clean sheets and towels to prepare for the both Don and baby as a frail wail erupted from Don. 

His whole body tensed at the sound. He could not sooth away this pain, not for the great tearing away of babe from mother. 

“Don,” Gurjin came back to her. “lets get you on your knees.” He hummed, when she gave him a scowl and shoo her head his sighed, “My twin sister has helped women through births, and she always says to be on hands and knees. It’s more natural. And you said gravity will help.” 

She gave a growly groan and brought herself up, her fingers slipping into his as the first of her pains crashed upon her. Gurjin merely held her as her body shook and shivered. He mistook the time for hours, but the brothers barely moved half of one hour. Good. Quick child. 

Then her hips lowered to the bed as her hands ripped from him and she reached between her leg. As she lifted her skirts away and pull a slimy wailing childling to her chest. Gurjin could not peel his eyes from Don as she pulled at the neck of her thin garmet and slipped off a shoulder to bare a single breast. The babe latched on quickly, and Don froze as she stared at the child, her eyes glossing over and a few thick tears dribbling out. 

Then, Don smiled. 

It all happened so fast, that Gurjin could do nothing but watch as She cradled her baby. She looked up at at Gurjin, tears streaming down her checks, “Isn’t she perfect?” Her pearly white teeth glowed as brightly as the brothers and the brass plate nearest Don left her haloed in rich gold. Prettier than the crystal. “She’s the most lovely thing I’ve ever seen.”

Gurjin nodded, and without thought, reached his large hand out and cradled the baby's side, over Don’s hand. “Most lovely. Beautiful life Thra has given to you. Both of you are beautiful,” He grabbed up the clean linen and offered it to her. Don swaddled the baby, her movements clumsy, but enough as she brought the little girl back to her. He refilled her cup of water and handed it to Don, made sure that she drink as much as her daughter did. “I’ll,” His voice cracked, but he was so happy. His chest as full to the sight of woman and child safely resting in his home. “I’ll go make us food. You need to eat.” 

Don smiled softer as she cradled her baby closer. “Please.” She then gasped, “When you come back, you should rest on the bed, with us.” Her checks suddenly flamed up. Their redness from her exertions was overtaken by a rosier color as her eyes widened. “If you want?” 

Gurjin smiled and nodded, “I will. Food for you first. And, you should wash.” He grabbed a small bowl of his and filled it with water, grabbed another clean linen and settled it on a small rickety table he kept next to his bed. He soaked the clothe, but left it hanging there for her. 

As Gurjin stepped out of his home, his chest swollen with a strange pride that he was well aware he had no right to. He breathed a new breath from Thra’s air. He hadn’t felt like this in a long time, not since long before the wars. 

He felt…hopeful.


	2. Oasis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I am very, very drunk writing this. There are mistake in this made by me, by them...I cannot be responsible for any adverse reactions to this piece.

“What’s a Drenchen doing in the heart of the crystal dessert?” Don asked one evening as they sat in bed together, he with the baby on his chest and she with her stitching in her lap by candlelight. Gurjin guessed she and her child had been with him for nearly three weeks by the time she spit out this question. 

“I expected you to ask that earlier.” He smirked at her, but she merely narrowed her eyes. They were upturned though, in the way she’d glare to cover her delight instead. Don seemed to always try to confuse him with her expressions.

“Alright, I hear you. I won’t ask again.” She bent back to her stitching by candle light in bed. Don would not rest. She cared for her childling or cleaned or cooked or did anything else, but rest. 

After her first week of this activity, Gurjin almost physically put her into bed when he instead promised her supplies, sowing if she would only stay in bed and rest. Gurjin was utterly relieved when she did agree those couple weeks ago. He dug up fabrics, thread spools, and needles for her. 

And she did throw herself into her work. She mended all of his clothes, cloaks, blankets. She made a few dresses for herself, the large billowy kind the dousan women prefer, then stitched tiny things for her baby. 

He marveled at the delicate vapran stitches and brought her more thread and fabric from storage, things he meant to trade and ended up with. And she found a spool of golden thread, that she used now to added the finishing touches to tapestries she managed to start and finish in a span of days. 

He would say he regretted giving her work to do, but she would lay the baby upon his chest when he climbed into bed each night. Gurjin found the tiny soft child a comforting weight upon his heart, and he took time to memorize her little fat features. And once the baby was settled with him, Don would pull her work into her lap.  
“If you must know why I am out here, I was never at home in Sog.”

Don set down her stitching again to look at him. “I was good at my job. I was a warrior, but it never felt like enough. So, I packed my bags and ran. I was done with it all. Came out here. Needed water. Found this place. Then, trine later, found you.” 

His heart beat fast as he reached out and took one of her hands, her needle dropping to the fabric. “Your fingers are magic.” He whispered.  
“I used to stitch a lot at court. Something that ladies did.” 

Gurjon raised his ears, “So you were a lady of the court?” He was delighted to know this. To know more from her.

She just laughed, “Whether I was a lady or not, that is past. Well and far.” She shook her head, “How is my babe?”

“Asleep.” He looked down at the very tiny thing that laid across most of only one of his pectoral muscles. “what is her name?” The babe had the same color wisps of hair across her head, and her crystalline wings were freed from her swaddling and spread. It had yellow eyes, like it’s mother, and pale skin. It was just like it’s mother in every way, even down to her little nose.

“I wanted to name her after my two younger sisters, but I haven’t decided.” 

Gurjin rested a hand on the babies rump and tucked her blankets around her. “Something pretty?”

“No, I would name her something important.” 

“Are you proud of you name?” Gurjin turned his head to look at her, he wanted her to look at him. “Don’s a very pretty name.”

“I loved my name once. But I changed.” She shifted over to rest her cheek against his other pec. Her hand came over his, but she seemed entirely focused on the sleeping baby. “Whatever will I name you?” Don scooted around and kissed the babe’s forehead before she settled against Gurjin once more.  
….  
Gurjin settled the basket against the rocks as he waded back through the water. On the edges of the water grew crops he had sectioned around. All that grew here in the oaisis did so in the bright shade provided by the high cliffs and left this area highly fertile, still, while a fifth of the like was shallow wading area, the rest was deep, dark, and cold. He had explored every inch of the water, seen the many fish, and stood beneath the harsh beating waters of the waterfall that inexplicable flowed from the highest cliff.

And he intended to add a fruit bearing trees here soon. The fish in the waters glittered around as he moved. He had plenty of foods and water for the three of them.  
“Gurjin.” Don called from the shade of the Oasis cliffs, taking measured steps to the water, to him. “supper is ready.” 

Gurjin nodded and stood, stretching his back and letting it relax as he stood to his full height before her. They stared at each other, her cheeks became that rosie red again, but before he could call to her, a bleating wail ripped through their peace and drew her back to their home where the childling was left. 

He followed slowly, putting away his tools as he went before her entered his home. At the doorway, he stared at Don, bent over a small steaming pot, freshly taken form the fire, that she stirred slowly before calmly dipping out ladle fulls of soup into two bowls. One bowl was significantly larger, and she heaped more food in for him before she grabbed the small loaf of bread and ripped it into two uneven parts. She set the smaller piece into the center of her own meal, and the large piece she settled on the table next to his large bowl. 

“I don’t think I can eat that much food, Don.” He said and her head snapped to him. Her eyes widened and ears flattened. 

“You have a long journey tomorrow.” She simply stated and waved at the seat across from her. the baby quietly wiggled in a basket full of folded linen next to Gurjin’s chair, and he stopped to smile at her before he settled into his meal. 

Around a large bite of broth soak bread he asked, “Have you named her yet?”

“No, not yet, but I have been looking over many names.”

“Maybe you could find a good one in the library.”

Don dropped her wood spoon, “What library?”

“The one the mystics left here. Its in the caves where I put my tools.” Don glared at him. “What?”

“You could have told me about this library sooner.” She sighed, shook her head, and returned to her meal. “I want you to take my work with you. The stitching, tapestries. Gurjin, stop shaking your head at me.” She leaned back into her chair, “I made something, you sell it. I help provide. I’ll pack them into you things. Sell them at Vapran costs if anyone asks for less than 300 coin for them, turn them away.”

“But Donnie,”

“Don’t 'but Donnie' me.” Don wagged her finger at him, “If you sell them, you can buy me more thread and fabric.” 

Gurjin merely nodded.

“Good, now,” Don sighed, “How, how long is this journey again?” Her voice sounded small again.

“About three weeks. Less than an unum.” 

“I expect you back on a sharp schedule.” 

“I promise I’ll be back faster, and I’ll bring enough back that I won’t have to leave for another trine.”

“Good. I don’t like the idea of you being gone.”

When they had finished their food, Gurjin picked up the baby and went to settle in for the night, getting into his softer sleeping clothes. As he stretched out on his bed, the baby wiggling on his chest, Don slipped in silently and laid against this side. Her wing, she shinier one that was a little crooked, stretched out over both him and the baby. Carefully, Gurjin free his arm to lay over her and bring her and the childling closer to himself, her leg thrown over on of his as they moved. 

“I’ll be back soon.” He hummed, the weight of the both of them was sinking him into sleep. 

“Good.” Don whispered against his chest. “Good.” 

....

Three weeks away from his oasis was the stupidest, most uncomfortable, most irritating time of his life. 

He was dehydrated, frustrated, hot, dry. Did he mention dry? 

And he was away from Don and her childling. Were they safe? Were they board? Where they still there? He stumbled into the maze like canyons that guarded the oasis, the exact route etched into his mind as he took seven lefts, four rights, and a few lean toos at several forks. But once he dragged the wagon to a stop as the edge of the greening land he knew he was home and that water was near. 

Thra, he needs to swim. Gurjin shuffled towards the water, only to quietly round one of the large, short trees that had a gelfling leaning against it. Don rested back, asleep, in a thin dress that was help up by two small straps that hooked around her neck. Her long skirt had been drawn up to the tops of her thighs to cool herself better. Next to her, settled atop the blanet that her mother rested on and just as deeply asleep, was her little childling, looking bigger than before. 

Gurjin watched the two Vapran sleep for a moment, lulled by Don’s peaceful breathing, before he turned to the water and quietly undressed ever stitch. Silently, he waded through the water, enjoying the cold and wet as he traveled to the center. There, he dove face first into the deeper waters at the stark drop off and into the deep side. There, the waterfall both deposited on the deep side, but also Gurjin could dive nearly fifty feet into near darkness to cool off and rejuvenate. He settle into the jagged rock here and breathed slowly through his gills, enjoying the way the pure water sifted through them. 

He didn’t know how long he was in there, but soft splashes disrupted the water and drew him to the surface. Don was standing with her back to the depths as she leaned over and cupped water in her hands. She lifted these handfuls to rub over her bare legs, then higher. Her cared everything. His wide eyes tried to memorize every inch of her as his blood coalesced at the core of his body, well to an appendage lower than his core. 

In his stupidity he took a breath in the wrong way and sucked water into his air breathing lungs. He coughed and sputters and choked as Don spun around, just as surprised. 

“Gurjin!” She smiled at him, completely uncaring of her state of undress. Gurjin climbed out of the depths and stood to his full eyes, puffing his chest up a little. Her cheeks grew rosie, and her eyes wavered all over him, his dick pulsated at this particular attention. As he approached her in the simple foot of water, she opened her arms to him, but her knees came together and weight shifted to cock a hip out. Overall her stance only brought his eyes to her returning hourglass form, although the tiger stripped marks around her stomach were still erotically arresting. He wanted to kiss them, put his tongue on every inch of her body. 

Her face bloom in red, “You want to do what to me?”

Oh, he said that aloud, “I want to love your body with every part of my body. My mouth included.” Her eyes widened. 

“How?”

Oh, oh no. “These is a grievous error, you have not been worshiped properly.” Gurjin fought back a smile, “I’ll show you the ways of loving.” He puffed his chest up again. And she just shook her head at him and sloshed through the water until she stood before him. Don arched her head back to look up at Gurjin and he felt her trembling finger tips touch is stomach. 

“Lots of muscle.” She whispered as she leaned into the touch and Gurjin raised his hands to her. he settled one on her back, just below the base of her wings, and the other on her hips and he found her so soft. So soft. He drew her to his own hips and… “Oh!” 

They both froze as the tip of him bumped her soft stomach. “Gurjin?” Don whispered, her eye lids dropped closed, but her brows were unworried. 

“Yes, Don?” Gurjin feared breaking the moment with any loud noise. 

“Worship me?” 

Gurjin scooped her up, cradling one of her legs over his forearm and palming her ass, while the other hand held her more firmly behind her wings. As her chest came to his, Gurjin became acutely away of their hardness and the warm wetness that leaked from them. 

“Your milk?-”

“We’ll clean up after. Besides I have plenty for the babe.” Her arms hooked around his neck, the fingers of one hand tangling into his dreads and yanking his face to her own. Her lips tasted of the sweet fruit that grew on tucked away bushes at the edges of the water, and wine. She mustn’t have drank much as she seemed utterly in control and steady in this encounter, but still. 

“Are you sure?” 

She nodded furiously then broughr him back to her, pressing her lips to his. She opened her mouth, bit at his lower lip until he parted his lips for her. He opened his mouth and pressed his tongue into her mouth and she sucked on the wet muscle. 

With her spread open, one leg thrown in the crook of his elbow and the other abandoned and wrapped around his hip, he gently lowered her until the tip of him touched her. She gasped and shivered against his lips as her body shifted ever so subtly and the tip of him sat at her warm entrance, ready to slip in with the slightest movement. “Please, Thra, please Gurjin.” 

He dropped her down just a bit more, and her whole body tensed as he spread her. She buried her face in his neck and breathed softly, although he felt her chest stretch in deep breathes, as he settled himself fulling inside her. Thra she was tight. Tighter than he expected of a female after she had a baby. Gurjin’s skin rippled with heat, itched and all he wanted to do was slip out of his green skin and crawl in with her’s try to mesh his soul with her own. 

Would Thra let him?

Gurjin lifted Don, then dropped her back onto him in sure movements, careful not to set a harsh or fast pace. He wanted to enjoy this, and every time he dropped Don back onto him, she shivered so hard her wings fluttered. She held him tighter, eked out soft sounds and Gurjin felt nearly timid squeezes of her womb on his shaft. He puled her closer, rocked his hips just a little harder and…

“Thra!” Don cried out, turned her head to pressed her lips against his cheek and ear and breathed out, “There. Again.” And Gurjin did as she said. 

Her womb clung to him tightly with this movement, her legs strained to open wider. And her wings fluttered so hard he would briefly feel her lift form him. Would she fly away when she orgasmed? 

Perhaps he should find out? He quickened his pace, not by much, but she must of noticed as her whole body held him tighter. Her breathing picked up. Then her back started to arch at the faster, deep strokes. His eyes roved over every inch of her body that he could see: her leaking breasts, the pinkness that glowed over her shining skin. Her braid coming undone as her wings fluttered harder and harder, and her womb began to hold him tighter for longer intervals.

Gurjin pulled her back to his chest quickly, hugged her tight as he pressed himself as deeply into her as he could get and she held him tighter than ever. Her body took a single deep breath and held it, and he felt her heart skitter over a beat against his chest as she broke into high pitched sobs, her fingers dug into his shoulders as her whole body spasmed and her wings fluttered hard in short bursts, nearly lifting him off his feet. 

All of time on Thra slowed at this mere moment on their souls attempting to cross barriers. Next time, Gurjin decided, he will dream fast with her when they couple. Gurjin let out long exhales as he lowered the both down and into the water where they settled as his pulsed seed into her in time with his heart beat. Don’s cheek rested against his shoulder as she gently smoothed her hands over his back and shoulders in a soothing way. 

“Don, I-“

“Don’t speak,” She whispered to him, then leaned back, her expression in a daze. Gurjin smiled at her, and she closed her eyes and grinned back, basking in the warmth they spread between each other. He rocked forward, and pressed his mouth hard to her lips, and she opened up to him like a desert bloom. She grabbed at his hair and angled her head, breathing hard through her nose as she kept him near. Only when they broke apart, and she stared at him, rubbing her thumbs along his jaw. Gurjin turned his head and kissed at her palm, then her thumb. “I’m scared.” Her eyes suddenly grew wet.

“Why?” Gurjin felt is ears begin droop, but his arms returned around her and pulled her into his chest again where he rested his chin atop her soft silver hair.  
“Of everything. Of being a mother and I have no idea what I am doing, what if I am just doing a terrible job.” She shuddered, “of being alone. Of this.”

“What’s this?” Gurjin lifted Don and stood up with her cradled there, safe. He waded back out of the water, to the blanket where he laid her down then stretched out on his back. He watched her check on her childling, tuck it’s linen dress more surely around her feet, then lay down against Gurjin’s side. Her wrapped an arm around her shoulders. 

“Don,” Gurjin spoke softly, “I don’t know what the futures holds for us. Or what Thra’s plans are. But I will not ban you or your child from this place, or from my home, for any reason. I will feed you, and the babe, even if you are nothing more than a friend or neighbor.” He hugged here close, “you will always have a home here.”

“Promise?”

“On the crystal.” 

Both of them were quiet for a moment, enjoying the rhythm of the winds high above, of the waterfall racing from the rock, of the soft heartbeat of life that Thra settled here. Of his heart in her ear. 

“So, I sold those tapestries of yours.”

“Oh?”


	3. SPIDER!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess whose drunk again? Haha, This Gurl.  
> Enjoy ya filthy animals and leave a comment!

They had dressed after their nap, as the heat of the day lessened and the first brother fell away. Gurjin needed to unpack his goods and take an early night, but he didn’t want to leave her or their childling yet. His cart could wait till tomorrow.

She lifted her daughter into her arms, but Don’s movements must had awoken the her. She squeaked and curled up her whole body as Don settled her against her neck and chest. She hummed as she embraced her daughter.

“Don, have you named her yet?”

“Yes. I named her Ira.” 

“But,” Gurjin cocked his head to his side and perked his ears forward, “that’s the name of the third sister.” The Hidden moon, it’s like outshone by her sisters, the Blue moon and Pearl moon. But for merely a handful of minutes, when her two sisters fall away, she is scene far into the background greeting the first brother as he rose.

“Yes,” Don smiled, “But when she does shine, she shines the brightest.” That was true too. The most ferocious sunrises were never of the three brothers, but of the Hidden sisters greeting her brothers. “And my daughter had finally brought light to my world, after an incredibly long night.” She sighed as she petted the short bouncy curls that covered Ira’s head. 

Gurjin smiled at the two, “May her light never burn out.” He said. 

Don opened her eyes to him and smiled, “Here, here.” She turned towards their home, “Come now, Gurjin,” With the weight of her child on one side, she reached out and threaded their fingers together again. “Let’s rest, in our home.” And he followed with a grin that rivaled the brothers and perhaps the sisters. 

Except Ira of course. 

After the third brother had fallen, once the light was gone, Don had lit a single candle and settled it on the table where they had eaten another hearty bowl of broth, but as he hunched over his bowl to eat, he snaked a hand across the table and took her free hand. She looked up at him with her eyes upturned even as she seemed to fight down a silly smirk. And they stayed a little longer at the table, touching each others hands, but careful not to fall into a dreamfast until she declared bedtime. Gurjin was mildly miffed when she carefully sent him to their bed even as he protested around a yawn. 

“Get blankets warm for us.” She ordered as she pushed him away, but once settled in their sheets, he could not rest. Instead he propped himself up on his hand and watched as the candle wax dripped away the hour and Don move about the room. Ira had fallen asleep in her mother’s arms, her face nuzzled into Don’s neck. Don only hummed softly as she carried Ira around and wiped down the table and cold stove.

Gurjin rose from bed and tip toed to her. He wrapped his arms around her from behnd, bringing her wings to his chest and twisted around to kiss her check. “Time for bed,” he took her hand form mthe stove door, “these things can wait until tomorrow, Don.” 

She leaned back into his frame as she nodded and turned around. She only looked between her child, then shifted the small body around. “Hold your hands out.” She ordered as she settled the baby into his large hands. The small thing was so tiny that she fit perfectly into his palms. 

“So small.” Gurjon whispered as he took Ira’s weight. It was comforting, “So small.” 

“Didn’t feel small coming out.” Don replied as she lead them both to bed and pulled back the blankets for both of them. “But she is delicate, yes.” 

Gurjin held his breath as the baby shifted and curled her tiny fingers along his thumb. He moved slowly, smoothly into the bed and brought the childling to his chest, to bring her closer. “I’ll take care of her Don.” He didn’t look at Don as he spoke, he couldn’t look away from the little baby as her chest rose and fell. “I’d take care of both of you.” He laid down and rested a large hand over the baby now curled over his hear.

“Hush now, Gurjin. We can speak of that later,” Don merely cuddled her whole body to his, and rested her hand over his, over her childling. “You had along journey. Rest.” She then leaned up and pressed her lips to his before resettling against him. 

…..

“How in Thra…”

Gurjin couldn’t help the grin that split his face as Don marveled at the rows and shelves stuffed with scrolls and hand bound books all of which were illuminated by a single whole cut into the ceiling where the light of the three brothers flowed through. Beneath this occulus, a small tree glowed as it put off bright red flowers on pale wood branches. Ira squawked and wiggled around as Gurjin approached them both. “I’ll hold her, you look.”

She nodded, her eyes moving all over the tall shelves nearest them as she gave over her child. “You know, my sister would love this.” Her face crumpled suddenly and she turned from both Gurjin and her baby as her hands covered her face. Her orange dressed looked so big on her as she shrunk away from them, away from Thra itself.

With his free arm, he dragged her back to them, held her close as her whole body shivered and jerked violently with sobs that she smothered with her fists. He hummed the song she always sang. The one she hummed both him and her childling at night. He was not good, but it did the trick as her cries slowed and he felt her soft breaths against his neck slow and become regular. However, they stood there for a long time, just…

Just breathing the same air. 

Gurjin did not know her pain, she didn’t share much of her past with him, but focused on their now. She and Ira lived in the moment in a way he was terribly envious of, but he knew of losing a family. Except he left his family by choice, left them a note and fled the swamps for the desert.

She sniffed and hummed the same tune for a few minutes. Gurjin felt her fingers travel up his chest and cup his neck. She pulled away to look at him. Her face was red, and her big eyes were read and shy with the unshed tears. “Oh, Don.” He felt his heart ache. How terribly beautiful she was when she was sad? She was terribly beautiful all the time. He felt his own throat began to tighten in the sadness that wafted off of her, but instead she cupped his jaw with both her hands, and rock up against his side to bring her lips to his. 

This was not the quick kisses they would share at night. She parted her lips and suckled at his fuller bottom lip before he let her invade him. He held her tighter, bent down towards her, let their tongues slide against each other and- 

An indignant noise erupted around the room and both pulled away, breathing hard to check on the baby, utterly perturbed and wiggling again, her face twisting an becoming red. Gurjin let her go to readjust the baby. 

“I,” Don’s voice was gravelly as he settled Ira down, “I should take a look around.” He let her go and watched as she moved towards the shelves, picking a scroll at random and sliding it out. Dust puffed into the air, but she just turned her head and waved it away, then unrolled it. “You should leave Don with me. You keep saying you were going to unpack your cart.” Gurjin smiled and merely kissed her silver, purple hair. 

“I’ll take her with me. You read.” She nodded and he walked away, out of the cave behind the waterfall, along the wide trail that wrapped along the rock between said water fall and the soil rich land of the oasis. As he retraced his steps to where he left cart, a small hand grabbed his chin, then at his lower lip in a very tight grasp.  
“That ma lib.” He enthused at Ira. She let go, but only reached up and grabbed at his nose. “Alright childling.” He leaned away from her, only for her other hand to free itself from her swaddle. 

He let her have at his dredded locks, pulling and throwing as he dragged the cart closer to the cave. He wasn’t kidding about using the entrance of the cave to store a great many things, tools, non-perishable goods, and material goods, like fabric and thread for Don. He only pulled off a bag of spooled threads when a shadow fell upon them. Gurjin looked up and smiled at Don, but her face was stricken. 

“Did you know that Arthiam could dreamfast?”

…

Gurjin knew this Arathiam. It’s great black body had three bright yellow strips across it’s thorax, an a yellow strip don it’s face towards its fangs. This facial strip was marred by a white lightening scar. A scar from a near grievous wound that Gurjin had once dealt to it. 

Now, it stood before them, drawn to it’s full height to look eye to eye with Gurjin. It growled. All of Gurjin’s tense muscles, and the rock clenched in his fist was brought above his head. 

“No!” Don wrapped her hand around his wrist. “Let me.” She stepped forward, the baby in her arms. He reached out, how could she step towards a monster and-  
It’s face split open, the whole of the skull spread in two from a perfect seam and exposed fleshed webbed pinkness. Don’s fingers rested against the wet pinkness and her whole body relaxed as she breathed out a sigh. The Arathiam hummed, it’s thorax shivered, and Ira grumbled. 

With the rock held tightly in one fist, Gurjin rested his hand over Don’s, settled over the pink webbing. 

“Hello you.” It was a voice. A voice Gurjin had never heard. Deep and gravelly, but not distinctly gendered. In the background of the swirling colors and tunes, were thousands of whispers. 

“Are you the Arathiam?” Grujin asked.

“Yes.” 

“Why are you here? Why are we speaking?”

“Because,” A taste entered Gurjin’s mouth, acrid and sweet and rotten as it slid down his throat. “Because we are lost. The ascendancy's greatest link was destroyed. 

By you.” And image of the queen Arathiam, a white creature that dwarfed her brethren, dead at Gurjin’s feet, her blood on his blade flashed through their minds. 

“Without out strongest link, out minds are too many. The connection is two much. And we are not capable of interacting. I and a few of my brethren are here to die in peace.” 

“Why is this place peaceful?”

“The tree. The Sanctuary Tree that gives life to this Oasis lulls it’s inhabitant into peace. And we want that at our end.”

“Will you kill us?”

“No.” It shuddered at his thoughts of dead gelfling upon the fields of war that they had both been heavily involved. “No more war. We are too tired. Let us live our last trine in peace.” 

“Alright.” This was a sweet voice. Don’s presence had swirled around them, now it became more focused. “Alright, but you must help us. If we are to share this home.” 

Suddenly a feeling of Euphoria overran Gurjin. His felt his soul wiggle and utter relief waft over them, “Yes.” 

Gurjin took a sharp breath as he stepped away from them, but jerked his arm up to steady Don as she swayed. The Arathiam purred and purred, loud and all around and-

No, not all around. 

On the walls, the books shelves, dotted across the floors, were many more Arathiam of all sizes. “Oh,” he said dumbly, “Oh, ah, welcome?” He set the rock on a stack of papers on an old large desk, then turned to them. “So, where shall we put you to sleep.’

…

Don took to the Arathiam better than Gurjin. Not to say he doesn’t dream fast with them, or wasn’t awed by how sentient they were, how intelligent they were. But it frustrated him that they were so comfortable being so close. It’s just that, well, they were everywhere now. In the trees, the library, on the rocks of the water, in the tunnels that lead into the breath of thra, it’s how they supposedly gotten to the Oasis. 

Thra, they almost invaded his home before Don ordered them away. Like a Maurda herself, Don oversaw them for any little reason. Orindak, the yellow stripped one that he tried to kill, stayed with him though. Thra he hated it, being nice to a killer Arathiam, but he did enjoy Orindak’s humor, something that came out in dreamfasts between the two of them only. And the creature was just as attentive to Ira as he, both kept an eye on the babe whenever she was near. Besides, it was nice to have a friend again and if Orindak wasn’t helping Gurjin with his crops, or boiling water.

And Don read to them and Ira of course. She was in the Library when he worked away, and always surrounded by a handful of them. Some of the smaller ones even took over the tasks of tapestry making, taking the threat into their many arms with ease and putting Don’s fast work to shame. 

“I won’t even bother anymore.” She groaned as she set her needle work down one evening and moved to the kitchen. She had two slices of fish cooking for them that evening as Gurjin stirred the pottage. He only nodded and kissed her forehead. “I know they needed a place to be. To thrive in their last trine, but I want some solace.”

“Entirely?”

Don cupped his chin and puled his face to her so she could kiss him quickly, “No, I want a night with you.” 

He nearly dropped the wood spoon to grab at her, but a dry wail came from the little basket that Don had set up as a bassinet. She gracefully strode to her daughter, her long skirts floating all around her as she went. He watched as she cooed at Ira, and he couldn’t help the thought of a future he tried not to hope for. Of Ira and Don sitting together, of Don’s stomach swollen with his childling. 

“Think we could have a family some day?” He asked. 

She glanced up, eyes wide, then smiled, “Already do.” 

Gurjin’s chest swelled up and he preened at the thought and- 

“Gurjin, it’s burning.” He returned to the pottage that curled a terribly black color. Whoops. 

….

Few things could be better than this. 

As soon as the third brother set, Gurjin climbed gently sloping trails up the cliff just above his home to the plateau above, where rock only began to turn to sand. Only place the Aratiam hadn’t settled under the beating suns of the brothers. 

He laid out a thick blanket as Don followed him with a jug of wine and two clay cups in a delightfully sheer gray gown with a wool wrap over her shoulders. He sat on the blanket and watched her approach him, eyeing how her legs moved around the materials. 

“I can see every bit of you.” Gurjin purred as she stepped onto the blanket. She giggled and offered the jug to him, which he readily took as she slipped off her slippers and folded her legs beneath her and shrugged the wrap off her shoulders. 

Gurjin careful set the jar in the sands as he moved himself onto his knees before her. He snatched the cups away from Don and grabbed her hips to drag them towards him.

“Oh!” She squealed and her wings stretched out as she landed on her back. Her hair was haloed around her and she bit her lower lip as he leaned over her and kissed her abused lips. As she parted her lips for him, so too did her thighs part to cradle him against her. Thra, he was hard as a rock and wanted to be with her. 

“I want to dream fast with you.” 

She hummed and parted only for a brief moment to breath a yes. She wrapped her arms over his shoulders. “I wore this dress so you could take it off me.” She hummed and his mouth captured hers again. He curled a little, grabbed at the fabric over her thighs. He pulled it up over her thighs, bunched it at her waist then stopped.

He pulled away even as she made a disgruntled noise and tried to bring him back with her hands bunched in his shirt. He gently pulled her hands away, then dragged his shirt off and dropped it to the side. He smiled at her red cheeks and as his shuffled down and carefully ran the tips of his fingers along her legs. He moved further down and smoothed his hands over her soft skin, followed his hands with his mouth, up towards her center. 

“What-“ She propped herself up her elbows as he parted her legs, gently guiding them over his shoulders as he moved closer, “what are you doing?” His eyes jumped up to her face, her eyes half lidded and face totally relaxed. As his gaze dropped back down to his goal, he admired her tightened nipples that perked up the fabric.  
He would go there next.

“Worshipping,” Gurjin’s chest burned and mouth watered as he eyed the lovely, thin, pale purple curls between her legs as he moved forward and breathed on her. Her thighs shivered, but Gurjin wrapped his arms around them to bring one hand to her center, purposefully parting her. He breathed her in, then lowered his mouth to her. 

“OH!” 

Gurjin felt a little weight on his head and fingers dig into his hair, tugging gently at his scalp. The small needle sharp sensations ran straight down his spine and into his hardening length as he pressed his tongue through Don’s folds.

“Thra!” 

He licked again, this time slipping his tongue inside her and was greeted by her high pitched moan as he lapped and laved at the sweetness her, sliding his tongue into her and back out sucking and licking at her lips and up to that pretty pink pearl. Soon as he swirled his tongue about the lovely thing, her whole body jerked. 

“Gurjin,” Don’s cry was near weak, but more desperate and he looked up at her only to see her head thrown back, her wings erratically shivering and her body arching with every lap at her center, particularly when he laved at her pearl. “Please.” 

Oh, he knew, he knew. 

He redoubled his efforts, feeling her body wiggle and strain beneath his mouth, her hips rocked up to his mouth as both her hands tangled in his hair and pushed him deeper into her center. Her breathes became more ragged as he swirled his tongue tighter around her pearl. 

Then he took it gently between his teeth and sucked. 

She arched up off the blanket, cracking out a sharp, long moan as her thighs shook violently for several long moments. He kissed and sucked at her through it all and after, when she had collapsed back with ragged breathes, he lapped up her essence, intent on collecting every drop. 

He let her legs slid off his shoulder and straightened himself to look down at her. her arms, wings, and legs were spread out, her hands over her head as she breathed deep through her parts lips. Don’s eyes were closed, and he could see wetness around her closed eyes, glistening under the sister moons. 

Gurjin moved away from her to pour them each a cup of wine. Turning back to her to see her on her side, head propped on her hand. “You are a vision.” Gurjin returned to her, offering her a cup. He watched her around the rim of his cup as they drank and she set the cup aside. He stood and push his pants down, the garment fell away quickly and he kicked them aside as his stiff length was exposed. She made a come hither motion to him with her pointer finger and he crawled over to her, then onto her. She rolled onto her back again, smiling as she pulled his lips to her. He wondered if she could taste herself past the wine on his tongue as their lips parted. 

“Gurjin,” She broke away from him, “take me.” His heart was racing, as if this were his first romp. 

“On one condition.” He mumbled, dropping his eyes to her lips. Ah, she bit her lower lip again. He’ll have to kiss it better. “I want- I want to seed you.” Thra, should he tell her everything? “I want to mate with you, I want-“

Her fingers pressed over his lips, stopped him altogether as her eyes closed. 

No, no he should not have told her everything.

“Gurjin,” She said slowly, carefully. She was going to send him away. He felt his ears drop against his head, tucking into his hair. His heart slowed down, utterly dejected. “I will only agree to mate with you, if we can put off having a baby for a trine.”

He took a breath as his heart sped up again. “Really?”

“Really, I want to a wait a bit, I want Ira to be a bit older before I get waylaid by another pregnancy and a dependent baby. I don’t think you have noticed, but babies are time consuming.”

He just nodded and kissed her again, hard and deep, threading his fingers through her silky hair to cup her head. She hummed as he grabbed her gown and pulled it up. She arched her back as he dragged it off her body, over her head and wings and tossed it aside.

“Gurjin, don’t. We'll lose it.”

“I’ll find it,” He settled his hands on her waist and rubbed his thumbs over her soft stripped skin there. “once I’m done with you.” 

She smiled and reached for him. “Come here, love.” Gurjin settled atop her, kissed her as she hooked her legs over his hips. 

“Now?” He muttered and he felt her nod and he guided himself to her entrance an-

“Oh, thra,” She sighed as he slid inside her, her whole body tensed for a moment then relaxed, although she did hug him to herself. He pressed in as deep as he could get, moving her hips to open her up more. He pulled away, then plunged back in, with a quick sharp thrust. 

There was a loud squelch at that movement, and he froze for a moment trying to locate it only to realize it was simple, erotically, her wetness as he drove into her. His body was set on fire, and he began a wretchedly hard pace. Her breathing picked up quickly, as he pressed his lips to her ear. 

“Would this constitute as premarital sex?” 

She laughed at him, “No,” She dropped a hand back, left it above her head and next to his only palm where he had his weight rested as he drove into her. He lifted himself off of her a little to look at her, her whole body rocking as their hips met loudly and she huffed out. Her eyes were utterly dazed, but still they sparkled at him. Gurjin reached up and threaded their fingers together and pressed his palms to hers. 

She was clenching, or was he? He wasn’t sure as their minds carefully swirled together. Just them, souls and minds and bodies mixing and matching together, shared sensations ran one way then another. 

Heat settled around them, and energy ran up his spine and down her wings, she clawed to get closer to him when he shifted back to get a lower direction and-white heat ran through both of them. Then he felt, or was she feeling. They felt soft lips and a delicate tongue run over a set of gills, up to an ear to nibble at the sensitive skin. 

One of them moved just right. And a light broke through their swirling dreams, and was dragged through. The both of them. Each to each. 

Gurjin didn’t remember pulling away from Don, or vice versa, But he was on his back, she collapsed on his chest, and both were breathing exceptionally hard. He wrapped his shaky arms around her and hugged her tight. “Love you.” He sloppily stated. “I put my seed in you.”

“It’s okay, I have to accept it to make a baby. I love you too.” Seladon sighed, and her felt her pretty eye lashes flutter closed on the sweaty skin of his chest. “More wine?”

“Read my mind.” 

She slapped his chest as she laughed.

…

They slept until the hidden Sister’s bright beams harshly woke them up. Don pulled her sheer dress back on and slipped her slippers on as she cradled the empty jug and cups against her chest as Gurjin grabbed up the blanket and her wrap. Her kissed her forehead and followed her down to their home where three Arathiam were inside, settled on the floor around Ira’s basket. 

The baby was still curled up, fast asleep. Don set the dishware down before she tip toed to the baby and lifted Ira to her chest. He watched as his wife, his mate, brushed her dress off one shoulder to bring their baby to her breast. 

One of the Arathiam stood up as Gurjan and Don settled into the bed. It went to Don’s side and cracked it’s face open, offering it’s pink wet webbing to her. She sighed, but as soon as she touched her finger tips to it’s mind, her body tensed. 

He felt his stomach twist and his chest ache, but these weren’t his own reactions, they were Don’s. one the two jerked away, she turned to Gurjin, her face stricken and eyes wide. “I-oh Gurjin.” Her voice was tight. “there are Arathium in the Castle of the Crystal.” She grabbed his hands, “And they saw the dungeon. There are dozens of gelfling being held in the jails there.” 

Gurjin was utterly confused. “Why?”

“I don’t know, but” She rolled out of bed and stood up, “I, one of my sisters is there. I have to go.” 

Gurjin jumped up and grabbed her shoulders. “And do what? You are a non-combative gelf, who would have to travel with a baby.” 

“I’ll leave her here, Ira’s safe here. But my sister is in danger and-“

“Don, stop-“

“The Skesis are evil!” She shouted, then covered her mouth as they both froze. Ira had jerked in surprise and pulled form her mother breast and let out an unruly cry. Her face reddened quickly as Don brought her back and tried to shush her, bouncing her. “They are the reason I almost died before you found me.” 

Gurjin’s back stiffened.

“And they tried very hard to kill me. I have to help my sister, and the others.” 

She tried to move to the door, but he stepped before her again. “I will get them. I was a soldier. And I’ll take the Arathiam here with me to help.”

She stared at him. “Okay,” She nodded, but her face looked terribly worried, “but for the love of Thra, be careful, love, and come back quickly.” She bounced the crying baby as Gurjin left his home and raced down to the waters of the oasis, trudging in towards the deep parts and diving down. He reached the dark bottom his sensitive eyes picked up a shiny object. 

A silver circlet. Huh? 

He would have to investigate that later. Now, however, he left the jewelry to go further and found a mossed over rock, were a pile of sand covered his weapons and armor that were stored in an water resistant treated bag. 

Once he dragged it up, he pulled on the leather armor and buckled his sword to his hip. Gurjin returned to his home to say goodbye to his wife and daughter and pull his boots on his feet. Don handed him a rucksack and waterskin, “Don’t forget to take care of yourself.” She ordered and pulled him down to her lips before he set out, towards the tunnels to the breath of Thra. 

Orindak fell into step next to him, well as much as an Arathiam could march with a gelfling, “You know where we are going?” Gurjin asked. He had never used a tunnel before.

The Arathiam nodded, something Gurjin was proud to have taught it. He was keen to remember that although he could not understand Arathiam, they could understand gelfling. As Orindak took the lead, Gurjin glanced behind him to find not a handful of Arathiam following, but a good half of those who inhabited the oasis. 

“Alright then.” Gurjin sighed, “to the castle.”


	4. Castle Refugees

“Hol-lee Thra!” Gurjin’s mouth hung open as he grazed his eyes over the deep caves that were alight by the illuminant glow of the Arathiam. Just kept surprising him. “Why in Thra’s name was it so hard to hunt you lot in the dark?” 

Orindak grumbled at him and the lights went out. 

“Oh! Right. Sorry.” Gurjin had come to a stand still, but he still heard them moving around him. “Ah, lights please?”

And so, let there be lights, mostly gently colored lights from the thoraxes of the creatures. They were almost there after a day of walking. Well, part of it was walking. When they got to the inner cave drop offs where the Breath shrieked through, Gurjin cried out as Orindak wrapped him up with his two middle legs and jumped. 

And floated. 

Orindak and the other Arathiam had created parachutes, illuminated as they caught the wind and they were all lifted. A terrible smell smacked him in the face. The horrific stench that was the Skeksis. He knew the lords were powerful protectors of the Crystal, but he didn’t understand how other gelf could survive their smell.

They came to tall, narrow tunnels, where Orindak came to a stop and turned to Gurjin as he open his head. 

My, even glowing inside. Gurjin touched the glowing pink and began the dreamfast.

“We are coming directly into the dungeon.”

“Really?”

And indignant noise overcame them, “Yes, but we will have to rip up a ceiling, lots of nose. Must be quick.”

“Got it.” 

Gurjin pulled away and followed closely to Orindak, keeping a hand on his side to remind the Arathiam that he was there. They climbed nearly vertical and Gurjin could taste the salt in the air. While they were nearly under the Castle, the castle was situated on the edge of a cliff and even some of it stood upon pillars built from the water. A part of him had forgot this taste, since the Oasis was completely fresh water, naturally filtered by the sand around it and the freshness of the waterfalls deep Thra source. 

A noise, a whimper, met Gurjin’s ears as they crested a floor and came to a grate. Ahh, they were in the ceiling of the vaulted dungeon. Gurjin peered over the edge and into the room between bars of the grate and-

Oh, what in the-

There were hundreds, hundreds of gelfling. Vapran, Drenchen, Sifan, Spriton, and Stone in the Wood. So many. He had never, ever seen this many gelf together, not even during the great trading festivals. And across all backgrounds. Childlings, farms, armored soldiers and everything in between. What was going on here. “Orindak, we need a way to get a lot out at one time.” He hissed. The creature hummed and skittered near silently away. 

“Oh, you, up there gelf! Aughra’s been waiting all day.” Gurjin’s eyes sought of the speaker, a not gelfling. He didn’t know what it was, in a big red dress, with wild graying hair and horns sprouting up from somewhere in that mess. “Well what are you waiting for? You and those Arathiam need to get us out.”

He liked her spunk. The Arathiam all circled this grate, slipping their forelegs unto the metal. He heard them grunt as the metal moaned, but sure enough, the grate was pulled up with a terrible shivering shriek of metal tearing away. Gurjan stuck himself out over the hole and waved, 

All the gelf looked up at him and a few caught him in particular. “Mother? Naia?” He was confused. Why were they all imprisoned here? Female gelfling started to rise, their wings abuzz as Orindak and the other Arathiam joined Gurjin before they shoved arm fulls of course rope into his arms. 

He dropped some, but held up one edge to stare at the yellow webs. It was knitted into a grid. “A big rope net ladder.” He grinned. “Will you make sure I don’t fall to my death?” The Arathiam grunted and pushed him over. He held the line as he flew, unfurling the ladder as he went, then holding on for dear life as he let the rest fall. 

And then, the flood came…upstream?

Gurjin scrambled up the ladder, followed closely by the hundreds of other gelfling and – podling? What was going on? 

None-the less, the masses followed, awkwardly skirting around the Arathiam and clumping into groups in the tunnels. Arms wrapped around him and he was brought down to his mother. 

She eyes rushed over his face, her own expression open with awe as she cupped his jaw, “My son, oh, I thought you have been lost to thra.”

He sighed, “I did not mean to hurt you, Mother.” He smiled, “I just needed away.” 

“Wh-“

“Gurjin!” The screeching sound of Aughra called, she bustled past several gelfling and placed a hand on his shoulder, “Quick now, lead us to the oasis.” She harrumphed and opened her eyes wide. 

“I-what?”

“Take us, now. Before the skesis know we have gone.”

“All of you.”

There were whispers, then a handful of women stepped form the crowds and joined his mother’s side. Maudras.

“We must return to our strong holds and villages-“

“No!” Aughra puffed out her chest and outstretched her arms, “We must all go to the oasis, where the crystal has been hidden.” She suddenly turned and waved at Orindak. “Lead, lead.” 

Oh, how was he to explain his many guests to Don?

.....

Gurjin felt dry again. He could tell his fellow Drenchen felt the same, but he had assured the massive group following him of the safety of the Oasis, and Aughra seemed to know the way as she took the lead well ahead of him. 

Thra, how was he going to feed everyone? 

Though, Gurjin looked to the side and smiled at his friend. He had not seen Rian in a trine at least. And still he was stronger than ever, had squeezed Gurjin rather hard in their hug. 

“What is going on?” Naia bumped into him, his twin so easily fell in step with him.

“Yeah, I want to know too!” Rian pipped up from his other side. “And I don’t just mean breaking us out. Why are you with these bugs?”

“Only if you tell me about that Grottan your besotted with." Gurjin grinned big at his friend's sputter. Naia punched Gurjins arms though, "Ow, alright, Jeez. Long story short,”

Naia growled, “I hate parced reports.”

“Yes well. My wife invited them to stay at our home, then found out her sister was being held prisoner here thanks to the Arathiam’s ability to dreamfast on a hive level.”

Naia let her mouth hand open, “Repeat all of that.” 

“Arathiam are always dreamfasting, and are on a web that connects to each of them. Which means they have a massive network of eyes all over Thra.” Gurjin waved at Orindak, “Orindak conversed with his eldest brother near the swamps of Sog, and his little sister from the Crystal caste while My wife and I were in the crystal desert.”

“Is that where you ran off to?” Naia cocked her head to the side. 

“Yes, I had to get away.” He looked up and sighed, “There,” Above, light struck out in firm streams. Gurjin’s heart cried out and he hitched a ride on Orindaks hide as the creature began its climb up . He could feel her, his Don was nearby, just a little further. He hung onto Orindak all the way up to cliff side. Only once they had crested the cliff and Gurjin felt his feet firmly on the ground could he take off into the Oasis. 

He ran into the bright shade, through the hardy trees that rooted, passed the cool waters and- webs. Oh, that’s a lot of webs. Along one entire side of the Oasis were webbed based structures, like many hundreds of nests. As he marveled, and grumbled, at his changing oasis, a most wonderful scent filled his whole being. He followed it to find a large wood table set out near the water’s edge. A massive cauldron, one he knew he did not own, nor bought, steamed next to the table. 

The table was full with wooden and pottery bowls, hundreds at that. “Don?”

“Here.” She answered. He followed the voice to find his wife plodding down the trail while balancing a massive tray. She was wearing one of her sleeveless dresses again, this time it was the pale blue one, but he could not miss the lace edges of a slip she wore under it. She did not often bother with under clothes since they only made her warmer. Perhaps with the other gelfling. 

Females were odd like that.

An Arathiam dropped from above, on a string of web and set a basket onto the table. “There’s bread to go with your stew, and make sure they drink water.” She ordered as she set the tray down before the Arathiam that accompanied Gurjin, save Orinadk, who strayed to the back with the Maudras and Aughra. 

Gurjin stretched up to see what she offered the dark creatures. It was cut fish. They never like the fish cooked through, but salivated when Don browned just the scales. The Arathiam dug into the meal with ghoulish delight. 

Once she stood up, she returned to Gurjin rocked up on here tip toes. And pressed a kiss to his lips. He wrapped an arm around her waist and held her as his mouth attacked her again. She giggled and dove into his neck, but he was content to kiss her ear and hair. He felt like he could breath again, holding her soft body to his where he could squeeze her firmly to him. She hummed and found his lips again, this time her hand cradled to back of his head as she brought him to her. 

“Where are our guests?” She mumbled against his lips. 

“Behind me.” He dipped her back as she parted her lips to him. 

“Are you going to help dip out food?”

“I am going to kiss you. All.” He started giving longer, deeper kisses, “Over. Your….”

She giggled at him, “Well finish your sentence.” 

“Lost my path of thought.” He sighed and brought her back to him, but she just swatted his chest. 

“You stop. I need to dip out food.” He let her go, only for him to pull her back to him, wings against his chest, at the sight of a tall spindly Arathiam already did just that. A hardened clump of web stuck the ladle to its foot and worked well enough to ladle stew into the bowls timid gelfs already offered up. 

Gurjin felt the tip of Don’s finger dig in the soft skin beneath his chin and lead him down to her lips, and her wings wiggled against his chest. 

“Seladon?” A soft voice wafted over them, and Don froze against his mouth. Gurjin opened his eyes as she pulled back form him. Her face was smooth, her eyes closed, but her ears slowly fell and tucked nearly to her head. Gurjin’s stomach dropped and his ribs tightened. No, not his.

Don’s. 

He kept a grip on her, even as she turned just a little, opened her eyes, and looked at the speaker. Princess Brea. The frozen Princess had broken off from the gelf in the background, who had all made their way towards the stew as they picked up bowls. 

“Oh, look at you,” Don whispered, biting her lower lip, “You’ve grown so much since I last saw you.” The smaller girl’s face grew red in a familiar way and twisted as seemed to stave off a cry. Brea stepped forward, more lit fell, her arms spreading open like delicate little wings. She threw herself into the arms of his wife with a sob, and they both sunk to sit on the ground together.

“I thought you died. I thought-“ She wailed against Don’s chest, she white knuckle gripped Don with so much pressure that Gurjin he could see the reddening imprints on his wife’s skin. 

“Hush, now.” She hummed that lovely tune again, and rocked the little princess side to side, the way she so often did with their daughter. “All is well now.” She whispered, stroking Breas hair and-

And he could see it. Don’s hair was nearly overtaken with the wonderful lavender instead of the platinum plates of her clan. However, Brea, while her hair was golden, possessed neigh unnoticeable streaks of purple in her hair too. “You’re a princess, Don?” Gurjin asked. She shifted her body, cuddling Princess Brea closer to her chest, and looking at him. Don smiled weakly around tears that he saw now. She looked so sad again, but also, content. Not like before. No, now, Don looked like she was whole again and able to breath in a way her whole life before had not allowed. She accepted something the same way he accepted something that married his old life with his new one. 

He leaned close and kissed Don’s forehead. 

“I was,” She choked out, still petting Brea’s head, “I was. But now, I’m just a gelf, I mean. A married gelf, but still.” Gurjan laughed, and she sent him a quizzical look. 

“I am the only son of Maudra Laesid, which makes me a prince.” He smiled bigger, “Which makes you a princess.” She gasped, then laughed. Laughed and shook her head and rocked her sister and petted her hair and wings. 

“Thra, I could not get rid of that title even if I tried.” She laughed louder, before Brea slowly rose away from Don. Her face was still red, and wet from her tears, and she looked numb. Tired. Brea cupped Don’s face in her hands. “I’m alright little one.”

“I, I looked for you, after you ran away.” 

“Oh, I wish you did not.” She sighed, “there are many dangers out here.”

“None as bad as the Skesis.” Brea gripped Don’s shoulders, “They don’t have the Crystal of Truth. I don’t know where it is.”

Don bit her lip, “I do. Because I took it.” 

Brea gasped and tried to jump up, but Don held her wrists tightly. As Brea babbled about finding their mother and telling the Maudras. 

“Stop. Brea, stop it!” Don gruffed, pulling her back to the ground where they had sunk together. “Please,” Brea’s struggles lost their ferocity, but she still stared at her sister with a cocked head. “You all have undertaken a long journey. You need to eat, and rest. We will worry about the crystal later.”

A wail tickled Gurjin’s ears and Don, Seladon, stiffened and looked up at the cliff trail. Gurjin held his hands up, “I’ll get her.” He turned and climbed up the trial with ease, he wanted to swim. But that would come later. He focused on the pathway, although his stomach did protest terribly. Gurjin was salivating, just thinking about food. Grab the baby and get food. 

In that order? 

Another soft cry met his ears. “Yes,” he groaned to himself. “in that order.” He passed the break of shade and into full sunlight that marked the last fourth of the way up to his home. And when he rounded the curve, he found an Arathiam laying on its stomach, one leg rocking the basket Ira was in. As he peered inside, he found his little childling, sucking on her fingers. “You hungry too?”

The childling’s eyes widened and she cocked her head to the side. Suddenly she reached both her hand up, cackling loudly and kicking her legs from the long white dress. He picked up his child, settling her safely to his chest and returning down the path, peacefully accompanied by the baby sitter. 

As they descended into the shade Gurjin hummed, the song Don, no, Seladon, hummed to his little daughter. “You know, your Mommy’s a princess. And I’m a prince. Which makes you the most royal baby in all or Thra.” The child whimpered in response and twisted to face front, staring down at the many gelfling. 

At the base of the path, two more vapran females hugged Don. The younger was armored, a paladin no doubt, but a circlet sat on her brow, just like Princess Brea. The elder was the All-Maurda herself. And all of them had been crying. Ira wiggled, and snuggled tighter against him, a little whimper escaping her again. “It’s alright, baby.” He petted her wings. Don hooked her chin over her shoulder at the sounds of her childling. Her face was red, and she raised hand and swiped tears from her cheeks. “I’ll hold on to her Do-.” Gurjin took a quick breath, “Seladon.”

“None of that,” She ordered, holding out her hand to him. As their fingers met and folded together, “I’m still your Don. That’s not going to change.” Ira held out her arms, threw her upper body out, and nearly swan dived to her mother’s chest. Don only steadied her, rested her hand on Ira’s chest. “Are you being good for Daddy?”

“Oh. Oh, Seladon,” The All-Maudra whispered, “you’ve had a childling?”

Don just smiled at Ira, who giggled back at her mother. “Yes, I was pregnant when I left, over a trine ago.” 

The All-Maudra stepped closer as her fingers dug into her daughter’s shoulder. “I-I’m so sorry.” 

Don’s eyes widened as she turned away from Gujin and Ira. “Mother?” The elder’s hands came up to cup Don’s face, wiping away the renewed, fat tears that escaped her eyes

“I turned you away when you needed me. I-I never told you how much I loved you.” Don hunched her shoulders, and tried to duck her head, but the All-Maudra, her mother, tipped her chin up. “Or how proud of you I am.” Don dove into her mother’s arms, settling against her chest the way Ira settled against Don’s. 

That screeching voice ripped through the din of the Oasis. “Ah, there you are.” Mother Aughra waddled, with her skirts in one hand and a cane in the other, directly to Gurjin. “So, this is how you hid away, Crystal of Truth.” 

Ira did not shrink away for the strange wise woman with the wild hair, and solid horns protruding from said mess. In fact, she leaned forward as Aughra’s face came close to her, and both examined each other. Except, Ira reached out and squeezed her nose. Then, then, in the softest, most loveliest voice Gurjin’s soul had ever heard, a little voice resounded from his childling. “Hello, Aughra.”


	5. Crown Unmade

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry Everybody, 
> 
> This is a filler chapter because chapter five became a fifteen page monster, so I decided to break it up into two parts. Chapter 6 will go up Sunday morning on March 15th.  
> And sorry it took me so long to come back and update. I had lots going on taking care of the family while tiring to avoid the Covid-19 outbreak.  
> Hope you are all taking care of youselves!!!!  
> Also, just threw up the first chapter of a new fic called What Was Lost. Check it out if you have a chance.

“Pinch me!” Brea squealed, and bounced, and fluttered, all while firmly holding onto Paladin Tavra’s and Don’s elbows. Both women laughed with delight at their littlest sister between them. 

How wonderful. Don seemed so light, like if she spread her wings, he was sure she would be swept away. Gurjin reached out for her free hand. She looked back a moment to him, her eyes crinkled up in delight. She rocked away from Brea, and yanks him closer to her. 

He let out a laugh and stated, “Strong.” She didn’t respond to that, but pecked at his lips. 

“Seladon.” Rumbled the all-murdra at the door of the library, the rest of the maudra’s and their hier’s, flanking her. Grujin smiled to his mother and sister, and their eyes brightened, but both their jaws were set. The only odd ones out where the four of them. 

“Yes, mother.” 

“We are going to start a war council, but,” her brow crinkled up, “Mother Aughra is caring for,” She held her breath and, “for my grand childling. She said that we need to know your history since you left us, that you know something that will turn the tide of our battle. We would like to dreamfast your time since you left us.”

Seladon’s mouth dropped open, then shut around a single word, “No.” The women, the queens, grumbled and shifted at the denial and,

“You must. She will.” That screechy voice of mother Aughra, whatever strange creature she was, ripped through the library, and Gurjin felt Don lean into him, then more weight. He cut his eyes over his shoulder, to see the lovely lavender, right there for the kissing. He pressed his lips to the top of her head, even as he caught sight of her sister pressing into her wings. “She knows a weakness of the Skesis, and where to start in the search to end all reign of the Skesis.”

“I can’t” Don swallowed, “I wont’.” 

“Insolent child.” Fara hissed, but she did not step out of line as she raised her voice, “Whatever crimes were committed while you were in hiding, all are forgiven now.” 

Gurjin shivered from the force of Don’s quivering body against him. “My darling,” Grujin hummed, looking at her. Her face had become pink, her eyes glossing over with tears, but the shiny sweat over her brow didn’t seem to emanate warmth. “You’re shaking.” She looked at him for a moment, then closed her eyes, and tucked her chin down, bowing away from him. No, don’t look away, “Love,” Gurjin hooked his finger under her chin, but she jerked away. “I’ll dreamfast with you. I’ll be with you every moment.” Don took a step back, then dove forward, into his chest. Gurjin wrapped her up, held her as tight to his chest. Oh poor thing. He turned away from the Maudras, put his back to them and hid his wife from them. He’d always keep her safe here. 

Perhaps he could convince the maudras to leave? Gurjin began rocking her, as she tucked her face into his gills. He pressed his lips to her trembling ear, “My love, I’ll be there. I’ll hold you tight.” She didn’t speak, but nodded. Even then, his stomach, their stomach, sank and a strange taste settled in his mouth. She took a deep breath of him, then straightened herself, her face evened out, but she didn’t try to wipe the worry from her face. “Brea has to leave.”

“What!” The little princess cried, mouth dropped open. 

“And Tavra too!” the other sister grumbled, but did not protest has ardently as Brea. 

“I must know,” Brea pulled closed to Seladon, “I have so many questions.”

Seladon shook her head, “You always ask so many questions, but I beg of you.” Seladon reached out and rested a hand on her wrist. “I beg of you, not this.” 

“Brea,” The All-Maudra cut in. “Wouldn’t it be best if you watched over Ira, Mother Aughra may need help.” 

The screechy voice Aughra hurumphed and straightened her back up, “Aughra knows a great many things, she could tell you.”  
Everyone watched with held breathes as Brea slowly puled away from her sisters, and headed out of the cavernous library with Mother Aughra and Ira. Tavra did not. “With all due respect, sister,” The paladin and Don stared each other down, “I will be in the battle, on the front lines even. It would be best that I know.” 

Don’s wings wavered, then tucked first, then her ears did. “Just know I will not ever forgive myself for sharing this with you.” Tavra’s ears flicked back, and her smooth face flickered a sorrow only soldiers know. Gurjin knew this, too.  
.

.

.

The meeting room was tucked away at the back of the library, an off shoot not fully formed, and certainly not lighted by the ocular hole in the ceiling of the main room. Much smaller Arathiam crawled over the cieling above, aglow and illuminating the room for them. Around the great table stood seven maudras, their heirs over their shoulder’s just behind them, although Tavra stood over her mother’s shoulder. 

Don had her own spot, an eight seat with Gurjin behind her. Orindak had invited himself to the meeting and stood next to Don. “Alright then,” Mayrin announced, “I think the first order should be to dreamfast before we decide how we will fight the Skesis.” 

“If fighting is what we should do.” The Dousan maudra piped up. Gurjin did not know her, nor her hier, he didn’t know most of those standing at the table today. 

A very old little grottan cleared her throat and barbed her words at the dousan, “Oh, yes. Run away Dousan, as you always do.”

“We are not cowards.”

“And when the Grottan clan called upon our allies during the arathiam invasion, only Stone -in -the -Wood and the Drenchens answered, not any other, especially when we asked for the Dousan’s help explicitly.” Her heir, Rian’s grottan lover, gently cupped her Maudra’s shoulders and squeezed. The little Maudra jerked her body towards Orindak, “and here is one of the beasts themselves.” 

Gurjin never caught was the Spriton maudra said, or the young Sifan’s biting return, because he could not look away from the All-Maudra. 

The stoic woman had lifted her crown off her head and set it on the table before her with a thump that silenced the room. Not a word was spoken until she- “If we are to work together, arguably,” She echoed as she slid each piece of her crown apart, “if we are to decide to fight together or fall together, then we must dreamfast.” She started sliding each piece across the large glossy wood table to each maudra, “this crown will either be remade in a unified effort to fight or flee, or let this crown forever be unmade. Let the time of the All-Maudra’s end here and now.” 

The room was silent, the bluff hung heavy on Gurjins tongue because, what if it wasn’t a bluff. What if the empire would change, and they would flee or fight or…there was so much he himself was behind on. Whatever was it that villainized the Skesis? What most wrong did they commit? What war was his wife drawing him into?

“Fair offer,” Maudra Fara, the great Stone-in-the-Wood war queen conceded first and raised her hands to the gelfs on either side of her. Rian, her heir and Gurjin’s longtime friend, stepped forward, pressed his hand to his Maudra’s and offered his hand to the Sifan on his left. One by one, hands found one another, palms pressed together, and fingers folded together.

The dousan heir shakily reached out to Orindak’s open skull, bumping her finger tips against Gurjin’s own. And Gurjin tightly held Don’s hand. 

“I’m so sorry.” 

.

.

.

“How lovely of you.” SkekSil hummed with glee, his beak upturned in delight at Seladon as he reached out and carefully rolled his hand over her scalp. Seladon was careful to primp her hair just right before she left the citadel for the crystal palace. She needed all to go well seeing as last weeks tithe had been so very pitiful. What else could be given? “We forgive for mistakes that could not be halted. The Emprorer will forgive Vapra clan.” He nodded, “Although, something must be asked of the Vapra.” Seladon nodded as Mira pressed closer to her princess while they trudged to the depths of the crystal castle. SkekSil continued humming his reassurances as he led them into a room and-

Oh, the crystal!

It’s face was cracked and broken, all scratched, lustless, a dark purple glow emanating from within. This couldn’t bee…it’s not at all like the stories. Shouldn’t it be pristine and white and perfect? Her paladin turned castle guard was thrown forward where she landed on her hands and knees in front of the sickened crystal, SkekTek rushing to her as SkekSil grabbed up Seladon and held her aloft by her wings. Her whole body convulsed at the wrenching pain, but she could not look away from the prone paladin. Seladon dropped her mouth open to scream, to order the paladin to run as SkekTek raised his arm and plunged two spears into her back. The crystal glowed brighter, the face of the facets cracked more, the sound ringing about the room only to be drowned out by Mira’s screaming as she was just-just sucked away. 

Gone. 

Like she had snapped her fingers. Ho, Thra. Please. Oh please, oh please. No.

SkekTek pulled out a glowing bottle, an utterly satisfied noise rolling from his throat. “Her essence, her very soul,” he state as he held the beautiful bottle up, then tipped it back and swallowed a great gulp down. He turned to SkekSil and offered him the bottle. Seladon didn’t hear what they said next, just stared at the crystal. Wasn’t it supposed to protect them? Or was it only to kill? How much of the sacred origins all gelfling celebrated were true? 

She was thrown, tossed before the crystal in the very place her paladin had once been. She pushed herself to her knees before a spear launched into her, but not from her back, not the barbs that SkekTek had thrust into Mira. The spear pierced her breast and she writhed in the most painful ecstasy, melting away. When the grave contortions ended, Seladon found herself groaning and gasping on her knees, crawling towards the tunnel she was brought in by. Everything was so heavy, and screaming echoed in her head as her brain tried to get her body out of this place. 

She spread her wings, she didn’t remember taking flight, just that claws tried to catch her. 

But they failed and she sped towards the Citadel of the Vapran Clan. To the All-Maudra. 

To Mother. 

.

.

.

If only she knew the Hunter would be called to prey upon Seladon and what she had unknowingly stolen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave comments below. I'd love to hear what you think!!! And remember peeps: Y'all are champions.


	6. Her Past (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for any mistakes. Enjoy and let me know what you think! :)

Seladon slipped along the high mountain trails. Her entire body was beyond tired. She had flown most of the way on her crooked wings. In the lowlands near the castle of the crystal she had found a tall tree to sleep in that night, but only rested for a few hours before continuing her torturous sprint in the light of the blue sister. Oh, Thra, just a little further. Just a little further. Her chest throbbed, where that spear had pierced her and she held a hand there constantly to make sure her heart was still beating. Sometimes, no, most of the time since she left the castle, she couldn’t feel her own self. 

Perhaps. Perhaps she flew so long and so far because this was her spirit, refusing the call back to the Thra. 

She sighed now, rested against the rocks at the corner of the twisting trails and just…just breathed. The hand on her heart told her she was alive, but she felt so weird, she felt…what? What was wrong with her? 

Her other hand rolled over her stomach, to calm it. She was cramping, but not quiet, and she wanted to throw up, but couldn’t. She had eaten in so long, The grumble in response attested to her state. The Citadel was near, just around this mountain. Her mother would be there, and she would protect her. That’s what mothers do. Seladon spread her wings and fell away, off a little mound of dirt, but just enough to get lift off. 

Just a little further.   
.  
.  
.  
Her mother did not hug her the moment they had reunited. The older woman rested a hand heavily on Seladon’s shoulder, the younger shaking herself to bits as she fought back vomiting. She was hungry, tired, terrified. And she couldn’t form her words fast enough, just tried to take her mother’s hand and show her. They hadn’t dreamfast in so long, not for trine at least. 

“Seladon, stop!” All-Maudra Mayrin finally snapped as she tugged her hand away, “You need to be looked at by the healers, then get food and rest. You will be a Maudra one day and must take care of yourself.” This was her tone that meant not to argue, never argue. 

She didn’t care for the paladins who lifted her into their arms, Seladon merely tried to keep eye contact with her mother. Just look at her! Seladon twisted about as she looked back on the All-Maudra who was already making her way back to the throne. “Mother?” But the All-Maudra didn’t hear, just sat down as the doors to the court were closed. Seladon finally stopped wiggling the grasp of her paladins as they brought her to her own chamber, where she was undressed and bathed, messaged and healed by the best of the vilyaya wielding Drenchen, the only one who resided with the Vapra clan. Then finally, she was tucked into the bed by her old nurse maid. It was all the lap of luxury. 

But her stomach kept rolling, discontent all together, and only when the second sister was at her highest, did Seladon finally fall asleep beneath the heavy blankets. Mother would have to hear tomorrow. Seladon would make her. Her stomach twisted and dropped, then rose, if that was possible, that left Seladon pulling her pillows and blankets all about to proper herself into a sitting position for the rest of the night. She woke to a warm weight on her lap, the rolling in her stomach calmed and quieted away. Seladon took a deep breath as she stared down at Brea, snoozing with her face pressed against her elder sister’s stomach. 

Seladon ran her fingers through her sisters silken hair as she sense another strange feeling. Coolness coalesced at her sides, where Breas hands were resting. Her vilyaya, light bending, but it was something else, perhaps healing too. The only things that that two sisters seemed to share was this magic of their father.   
“Wake up, little one.” Seladon whispered to her. Brea whimpered and rubbed her nose deeper into Seladon’s stomach, but she shifted enough that the elder royal slipped out of her bed, folding the blankets back to at least cover her little sister. 

Wherever was her other little sister? Where was Tavra? 

Seladon tip toed to her wardrobe and shucked off her night gown with no shame, pulling out leggings and a tunic, and her old worn boots. They were easy to lace up, her fingers remembering every stitch and weave as she secured them down. She used to wear this assemble when she traveled, or rode land striders with Tavra. Oh, it had been to long since she has done that.

Really, Seladon? 

She sat at her dressed, staring at the mirror, at herself. She looked the same, hair tamed, face carefully moisturizer before bed, but the crinkle around her eyes and brow and the corners of her mouth. She should be wearing a velvet gown. She should brush graceful makeup on her skin. She should wait for her handmaids to braid up her hair into the proper royal fashion. 

Now, she managed her circlet, and fled the room, her youngest sister, quietly, for her mother’s court, for her advice and help, and guidance. With a quick stride and ignoring the stares of her fellow vapran as she hurried about. She wrapped around a pillar, then slid up against the archway that would lead into her mother’s throne room and-why was she hiding. She froze against the wall. This was her home, in her clan lands, of her clan. So, why was she slinking around like a thief. 

She heard a sound, a deep timber. 

Then a snaking seductive voice, high pitched and utterly responsible, through the doors. 

“-Just sick. Give Princess Seladon to SkekSil and he will make sure she is safely seen through being healed.” The Lords of the Crystal. Her stomach began rolling again. 

“Are you sure she is ill?” Mother asked, “She was tired when she got here after her journey, but not ill.” 

“She was probably just ill, but is very contagious, and eventually the sickness will kill her. We only want what is best for our gelfling.” 

“Oh, well, I suppose it won’t be terrible bad to send her for another visit to the castle.” 

No, mother no. 

“Just until she is well.” Mother concluded. 

“And I must stress, she could pass the illness by dreamfasting, please, do not dare do such a thing. It will infect the mind.” SkekSil. 

That, that bastard. A thrill of anger ran through Seladon as she found his true title. She needed to get out. Seladon twirled in the hall and shot towards the hall window of the citadel. Her heart sank. Where would she go? Who would help her? She had never fended for herself. 

Her stomach twisted horrible and she spread her wings as her legs crouched then pumped up, launching her up and out the window, into the cold mountain air of Ha’rar. 

Goodbye family. She turned away from the coast and towards the forests, to stone in the wood. Goodbye home.   
.  
.  
.  
She had stayed in the trees. Just like her way home, when she tired too much for her crippled wings to carry her, she would flit into a leafy tree and rest on a fat bough. She needed to get out to the crystal dessert, where the Dousan shamans were and, and the legendary mystics. They could help her. 

Especially since she overheard other travelers on the forest floor below speaking about the ill runaway princess. She should not expect help from her own kind. But, her sisters were safe. The only thing Seladon could comprehend was that The Skesis did not have the Crystal, but where exactly was it? Her stomach would twist every time she wasn’t otherwise occupied with flying or resting or, she was ashamed to say, stealing food. She tried to leave little trinkets. Jewelry and her expensive sash. She would properly pay for these goods one day. 

The days passed over so quickly, she was shocked when Seladon flitted up to the clouds for coverage from below, and spied a barren horizon. The forest would end and be separated by the Crystal Strait, the two land masses separated by a wide and torrid strait that even Sifa were weary of during wet season, such as now. Seladon saw the darkening clouds amassing over this section of Thra. Soon, the rainy season would begin, and the vicious rains will flood the area for days and days. 

That would be her cover. 

She dropped to a nearby tree, her wings swollen and in utter agony. She should have rested earlier. She should have taken better care of herself and-

Oh….there is a large berry bush around the base of the tree. 

She held the tree firmly as she eyed about, but, no gelfling to catch her. She dropped to the soft floor before and started picking them. She knew these berries. Sweetutu Berries. She popped one not her mouth and-

And blinked away the wetness blinding her, her fingers pressed over her mouth as the richness of the berry spread over her tongue. 

These were the favorite of the Vapran Princesses. Mother would always buy any and all available berries brought to Ha’rar only for her daughters. She would leave them on bed stands or in their private siting room without a word, and often would slide them off her plate onto her daughters in equal shares. 

Seladon swallowed painfully, sniffing her tears back and rubbing her eyes and nose. “Enough of that.” She growled to herself. She reached out and picked more berries, eating them right away to satiate her suddenly wanton stomach. She never heard a sound. Nor a footstep, only that she looked down to rip open a stolen little bag to fill with berries, a sad excuse for provisions for the crystal desert. When she looked back up, reached out for more berries, a face was sticking out of the foliage. 

A bone covered face. 

She cried out and flittered back, but the Skesis grabbed her up with one powerful claw and dangled her before him. 

SkekMal. The Hunter.   
.  
.  
.  
The cage was simple. And metal. It was metal and had a heavy lock on it, of which the key hung around the monster’s neck. She still shook the bars with all her weight. The cage was sat at the corner of the tent, across from a crude bed. Seladon shivered whenever the iron and blood scented creature came near her. He tossed her around, then into the cage with ease. Surely, surely, this traveled cage would have some weakness, one the joints might be rusted. 

Out!

She needed out. Into the open hair, into the desert. She needed a mystic and- What? There’s a noise. 

The beast, the Hunter burst into the tent, a chain clutched in one hand as he sneered at her. He yanked the chain and dragged in another gelfling, her ankle shackled, a spriton-

“Let go of that child.” Seladon commanded from her cell. How dare he touch a childling.

The beast looked at her and…grinned. “She is mine. You’ll learn.” He growled as he slowly pulled the child to the bedding of then tent. “You know.” He reached out and with several jabbing strikes, ripped away stitches of clothing. The little childing flailed dark hair all about as she tried to scuttle away, as she tried to keep the fabrics on her body. “The Emperor promised me you, Princess.” He looked at her now, even as she child was brought under him. 

“No,” She shook her head as she stared at the terrified and upset face of Spritonling. And resigned. The poor little one knew what would happen, had suffered this before, but begged for no repeating. “You can have me now. I’ll be willing. Just don’t hurt her.” Oh, please. Please no. Seladon pressed herself against the wooden bars, arms outstretched towards the monster and the childling. She was desperate to hold the girl close. Where she would be safe with her. Seladon could take the abuse, she was next to be All-Maudra. She was to protect all gelfling-

“No.” He cackled, “Not yet. The emperor was specific. Not a hair on your head touched until you are delivered to him. After though, you will be committed to the same service as this mutt.” He waved towards the child just before he descended on her. 

And Seladon could not look away.   
.  
.  
.  
The horror, that horrible twisting thing that sat in her lower stomach, jumped up, sending a horrible acrid taste into her mouth and-

The chain broke. 

Seladon would have fallen back if Gurjin had not caught her, had not wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against his chest and held her breath takingly tight. And he cried. He buried his face in her neck, her shoulder, and smothered a sob there. He never cried, never shook with fright and anger, and Seladon had never felt her chest burn with anger yet feel her heart sink and-and could breath. "My husband," She croaked, then stuttered in a breath to blow onto the gills nearest her. She watched them ripple as he took a breath and the weight was lifted. Only a little, but he breathed. 

Maudra Mera turned away from the table and vomited, coughing and whimpering. The ungodly smell drove a few of the other maudras, and their heirs, from the room, some covered the faces as they cried, others faces were all twisted up in unprocessed, corrupted disgust and horror and anger. Finally Maudra Mera was nearly carried from the room by her heir, but she reached out and brushed Seladon’s shoulder as they went. Her fingers dug in and pulled. 

“Tell me.” It was not a command, nor a beg. It was pure desperation, sadness, and everything else Seladon could not name. But it was a prayer, a careful question that both females standing there did not want. “She is the youngest daughter of my cousin. We thought her lost and dead for trine. Where,” The fingers dug in harder, “is she?”

Seladon pressed her lips together, to prevent the cry. The yank that ripped Mera away nearly took Seladon off her feet had Gurjin not been holding her so tight, and the Spriton Maudra was taken away by her heir. 

The anger was palpable and Seladon could taste it. Especially from Fara, who stood stock still in the stinking room, her body nearly suppressed the vibrations of the tense muscles, but her hand had wrapped tightly around the pommel of her sword. 

She would fight. 

Seladon was certain, but she had the Stone-in-the-Wood support. 

She tucked into Gurjin, wrapped her arms around his chest, and kissed at his jaw. “Let’s go outside love. Let’s hold our daughter.” That got him moving. 

“We need our family.” He mumbled as he stumbled to the door, firmly grasping Seladon and moving around her body, making sure to deliver her safely from the room. 

Ah, she brought all of them such sadness. 

As she left, she glanced behind to her mother and sister. Mother was frozen, her eyes wide, tears pulsing from them and down her cheeks as her hands silenced the scream her whole body was poised to release. Then, her body folded down on herself, her shoulder slumped as she bent towards the surface of the table. The weight of it all coming down upon the Once-All-Maudra. 

Her mother stood with Fara at the table, with Argot there too. The Grottan and Stonewood heirs wrapped up around each other, in the same care that Seladon herself was held by her husband, but behind all of them, Tavra coddled and comforted a shaking body. Elder Onica, current heir to the young Maudra Ethri, cried loudly, shaking and holding onto Tavra. And-

Oh, oh. 

Oh!

Seladon was pulled beyond the door and turned towards the light of the library then the entrance, out to Mother Aughra and her daughter. 

Seladon needed her daughter.


	7. Her Past (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WHOO!!! when Isolated by the Corvid-19 virus, I have nothing to do but abuse my liver....be safe everybody

Gurjin bowed to his mother. 

She would have been angry, surely. She would have been more than that. She would have been livid. And his father. He would be disappointed and confused about the Gurjin’s disappearance and secret family. Whatever they would have been had lapsed as his mother cradled Ira to her chest, and His father peered at her over mother’s shoulder. The childling had, for the moment diverted the maelstrom away and calmed these waters. 

“Strong.” His father hummed as Ira captured his offered finger. “Good. Good.” 

“Course she’s strong,” Mother scoffed, but she never dropped her smiled as she look down at the childling, “I expect nothing less from our grand-childling.” His mother’s strong hands brushed over Ira’s head, through her few little tufts of pale hair. Then, Mother brought Ira’s face to her, where the babe reached out and grabbed mother’s cheeks and squeezed even as Mother pressed her own lips to Ira’s forehead. 

Mother was utterly delighted. Her eyes were bright, and the weight on her brow seemed to lift. The same could be said about Father. “Good job, Gurjin.” 

“Mother, I had no part in her creation.” 

“You’ve supported her mother and her.” She cut her eyes away and Gurjin followed to, oh, such a lovely sight. His wife, Don. She stood on the periphery of the Drenchen clan, many of whom frolicked in the waters of the oasis. None of the gelfling knew of the horrors his wife shared with the Maudras only aware that the Lords were bad. What a curtain she had pulled back. He’d sworn to protect her against any horror. That their family, however large or small it may be, would always be safe, but, but what if he was already too late? After all, he could not protect her form her past, from past events or pains. 

There is so little he could do to protect her. 

She stood from her spot amongst the Vaprans, who similarly relied on the waters fall to cool their Vapran selves with her sisters and mother. The princess Brea chattered way none stop since the moment she relinquished her tiny niece to His mother. Beneath the shades of the trees, a single stiff beam of light fell upon Don’s head and left her haloed in lavender, her wings opened and refracting this light about. Her hair looked smooth, braided away in that sorry Stonewood plait he managed to pull together that morning. And her skin glowed silver soft. A fantastic creature of the heavens. 

Oh, he should properly greet his wife. 

Gurjin rose from his kneeling position before his mother. He plodded, yes, he dare say plodded like a careless bull nebrie, through the shallows and stamped into the sand to his wife. She was soft, beneath his hands, as he wrapped her up in his arms, pulled her close and shared her warmth and felt her laughed bubble around in her throat. Her fingers tickled the sharp edges of his jaw, one even fell to his neck, to slip along his gills. 

Gurjin bent down to capture her mouth, just a press of the lips at first, then deeper, rolling her head back as her lips parted and he tasted her. Thra, she tasted sweet. So very, very sweet. Of the fruits that swelled on the branches above, until they have grown fat and red. Should he climb the trees and pick for just for her. 

“Oh, yes,” Don mumbled against her lips, “I do like those,” then giggled as she pressed her face into his neck and kiss his gills, “You’re thinking aloud again.” 

“If it’s about you…” He whispered, hugged her close and rocked slowly, side to side with her in his arms. She shook her head. 

“Will you get me water?” She leaned back, “I need to feed Ira.” She was always unquenchably thirsty, gulping down water when Ira fed from her. 

Gurjan nodded, but didn’t let go of Don, just stared at her, “So, she is the Crystal of Truth?”

Don’s shoulders dropped as she tucked her chin, “As far as I understand. Yes.”

“When did you know?”

“Before her birth. A little before I met you. I just, thought her and I could stay here with you. Where it was safe.” 

Gurjin pulled her back in for a hug, and kissed her bangs, “You two will always be safe. Anywhere you are.” She nodded, and shifted a little to press her lips gently against his gills. "I promise this."

“My boobs.” She whimpered, but even as Gurjin let go, he laughed. 

“You have never called them that before. Never even called them that.” 

She didn’t cover her mouth, in fact rolled back to let out the full belly laugh, even though her eyes still looked so heavy and tired. Their laughter died, and he ignored the gelfling around them, “Is that why you were so sad?” 

Her smile slipped off her face, “Yes.” He reached for her hand and brought the back of it to his lips. 

“I’ll go get the pitcher and cups.” Don started. 

"I'll coax mother into handing Ira over. It may take a bit."   
.  
.  
.  
It took time to get the Maudras and heirs back into the room, even Orindak was hesitant, slow to open his mind, the entire hive, to the atrocities and untethered emotions resurging from Seladon to the igniting fires, and shadows, from the others Gelfling. But, he did finally let his mind open, this time to the Gelfing Tavra, he liked her mind. It was calm, even when enraged, hers was clear, a virtuous sounding board. Which, gave him an unfettered idea, that slipped to her, before the whole of the circle was made. She should ponder the quandary. 

All these perhaps, and yet, the web of his brothers and sister sang, and he felt them all still, to learn the rest of the story. To learn how to destroy a Skeksis.   
.  
.  
.  
Seladon kept her eyes on the crumpled little form, unmoving save from the labored breathes that eventually calmed into a rolling rhythm. Had she gone to sleep? After the abuse, the screaming, even as Seladon’s own heart beat fantastically swift and so hard that she barely believed a living heart could go, the child had stayed curled up and abandoned and just, breathing. 

“Little-“ Seladon’s voice cracked around a sob, she pressed her lips together and swallowed it, blinked away a tear or two, embarrassed. Stop this. In the last, however long, Seladon only witnessed the rape and assault, had pressed down bile and cringed at it all, but not one of these moments of violence were directed at her. So why-ever was she acting like the victim. “Little one.” She whispered out, stronger, firm this time. And, Thra finally granted one good thing, when the child did indeed shift slowly, rolling onto her hands and knees, to scuttle to Seladon. Well at least as far as she could go before the ankle shackle was pulled taunt. 

Her face was grim, ashen in the dimness, only the hidden moon daring to pierce the curtain of the Hunter’s tent. She looked tired, but also, very far away, like Brea when she was off in some otherworld with her beloved books. 

Oh, the little one was young then Brea, by at a few trine. Seladon pressed to the bars and opened her arms, but the childling didn’t go into them, instead, stopped short and offered out her arm. Between the childling’s fingers was a single key. 

“He keeps it on his neck, but I took it from him.” For a moment, only while she whispered this, did Seladon see the lovely glitter of her eyes, of existing. She took the key and shoved it into the lock, and her heart sang as it clicked open. Thra smiled, full and total as the cage door swung open, and the Hunter did not stir. She smiled, reached for the little one, but the girl shrunk away. “I can’t leave.” 

Seladon stared at her. And the childling did not look away. Why stay to this abuse? Seladon knelt before her, put her hands on the thin, boney shoulders, and squeezed. “I will protect you. I can guarantee this.” Please, “Come with me.” 

“No.” she then raised her leg, showing her shackle. 

“I can get rid of that.”

“How?” 

Seladon never told mother, but she had seen Brea using her Vilyaya to scry. Whatever magics their father passed to them, it was not purely vapran, it was whatever the princesses put their minds and souls to. To a degree. 

Seladon had seen great Drenchen healers perfectly fix gaping holes in gelfling warriors, had once been awed by a grotto puppet masters shadowry. And while Vaprans were held to the standards of light, the eldest and youngest daughters of the All-Maudra could do all this on the fringe. Heal small cuts, hide little objects in shadow, and light up a room. But Brea shattered almost every one of her scrying glasses. Once Seladon had found a fracture in a rock, she pressed upon it, and the rock exploded. The crack echoed in the Mountains and frightened the people of Ha’rar, and so, she never did it again. 

Seladon pulled at her tunic, beneath which she wore a white shift, leggings and underclothes, and offered it to her. In the waning light of the last sister, as she made way for her first brother, Seladon watched the little thing drape the fabric over her herself, the tunic ends brushing the ground.

Oh, please Thra, her heart pounded too loudly. Would it wake the Hunter? She pressed a finger to the joint of the shackle. “We have to run when this goes.” She whispered. She wanted to pull the little girl into her arms, hug her until the pain and past were gone, but the little form resisted physical interactions, tying the stings around the tunics neck instead. “Hold onto my hand and don’t let go.” She warned, offered her free hand, little fingers touched the center of her palm first, then spread out as they wove between Seladon’s own. Small tastes, acrid and iron rich. Blood, and shadow, and sharp stinging spread through her body, all from the childling’s connection. 

Seladon pressed her light through the joint, found the space between the hinges and spread them. 

The metal screamed as it parted and Seladon pulled, dragging the girl with her towards the part in the tent. The blaze of the Hidden Sister blinded Seladon as she spread her wings and wretched both of them into the air. She didn’t hear the beast follow, she didn’t hear him even move in their escape, she just flew.   
.  
.  
.  
The wrong way. 

She had flown the wrong way, back towards the heart of the Forest, once the blazing light had fallen away, and Seladon finally flittered to a high tree bough, she was shaking and shivering. The girl had become dead weight, unable to fly herself. 

Once Seladon had pushed the small one in front of her, she saw why, “He clipped you.” Not just clipped. The wings were sheared down to stringing wisps. Seladon reached out and pressed an open palm to her back, but the girl jerked away, her dark hair whipped over her shoulder as she glared scathingly at Seladon. 

“He hunts very well,” the girl warned. 

“I know, we need to cross to the Crystal Desert.” Would it be safe? Was she just dooming them both to worse punishments for running away? “My sister used to read about mystics and mother Aughra. The Mystics roam mostly in the Desert. We can find them and they can help us.”

The little girls dark eyes opened wider, “Can they protect us?”

Lie. “Yes.”

The childling turned to her and wrapped her arms around her waist and the Vapran hugged her back. If the great and hidden Mystics could not protect this childling, then Seladon will.   
.  
.  
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They zig zagged. Seladon flew in the clouds, the childling terrified in her arms as her useless wings tried to flutter and shivered. It took them two days to get back to the coast, but by then, the join of her bad wing had swollen terrible. It had become a terrible grinding sensation there as she beat her wings in the air. She had to, begrudgingly, find them shelter on the ground. The wet season had begun and the strait had become a most terrible landscape. All the powers of Thra reeled and rolled here with freezing, biting, rains that slapped about in sheets, lightning danced between these droplets and the torrential waves roared in protest to the black clouds above. 

She needed to fly through that, but she was not in any condition to make the jump. And the tall trees that they had previously rested in swayed violently from the winds, leaving this sanctuary unviable as well. Seladon settled in a small cave, long grass and weeds and vines hanging over the entrance, and brought the little one to her chest. For a moment, they looked into each others faces, eyes, noses, then the little one reached up and poked date a hard thing on her forehead. 

Her crown. The one thing she had yet to trade. “Do you want to hold it?”

“Nope.” She blinked, “just wanted to look.”

Seladon sighed and shut her own eyes, “Sleep, the hidden sister will wake us, then, we’ll go.”


	8. Her Past (Part 3/Last Part)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the last of Seladon's past, a few things have been set into motion.   
> Also next chapter will have some unabashed sex...in a few days. Next update will be Sunday night.

The claw wrapped around her ankle, dragged both of them out of their little den. Seladon’s back and wings scrapped against the uneven rocks and crystals that made up the coast. She nearly drowned in the tyrant rains that swept over them, and the childling was ripped from her. Seladon could barely make out the hulking mass of shadow that was the monster, but she grasped for a rock, anything, and wrapped her fingers around a crystal, shorn from it’s place and left amongst the rocks. Seladon swiped up, then down. And it worked. The Hunter let her go, bringing his hands to his chest where she sliced at. 

“How did you? Not pos-“ He roared, twirled about, took a few steps, he dropped blade he had held aloft and grabbed up what looked like a pole. The crashing lightning in the strait behind him revealed the sharp point on the end. 

Time to go. She struggled to her feet and reached for the childling who was crouched down and still withering in the storms winds. Seladon brought her in close and spread her wings, the winds picked her up and she fell into a spin, angling her wings to jerk and dodge into the wind. She flapped and rose, she needed to get into the clouds and above it to cross, but the winds dragged her down to the waves over and over again. She finally gave up, just trying to surf the razor like waves that snapped and lurched up before it would drop down, crouch to pounce up again at them. Like dunes, she flitted between the waves.

Lighting rippled by and burned the air around her, even as the rain iced over her clothes and her heart beat so fast and hard that she wondered if she wouldn’t die here and now from exertion. Still, she smiled, a stupid grin on her face, they were going to make it, the painful brightness of the Hidden moon was just beginning to shatter the clouds. “We made it,” She thought she yelled it, but couldn’t hear her own words.

She didn’t know how long she flew, the turbulence left each moment hanging on the string of forever, but all too soon, lightning illuminated the world in time for her to jerk away, painfully so, and skitter between two tall rocks jutting out of the waters that beat up against them. The sharp teeth gave way to another rocky beach.

Seladon continued to laugh. They had made it. 

They made it to the Crystal desert. Well, almost. She descended to the rocky beach where Seladon collapsed back, the childling in her lap. Safe. Only safe. The first brother rose, they had missed the last sister’s bright set. The first orange light cut across the water at the horizon, brought light to the black night and calming the storm, at least momentarily before it coalesced power again. 

Seladon smiled, didn’t know if she was crying or if it was the water dripping from her soaked hair, but she smiled. Then kissed at the top of the childling’s head, her ebony hair just as soaked. “I promised, we would get away.” She pulled back and looked down at the girl. 

And Seladon screamed.  
.  
.  
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She stayed on the beaches, cradling the body, even as all three brothers rose. The raining had stopped, but the winds and cold waves continued to swirl. 

“She probably died quickly.” A deep voice timbered, slow and gentle. And comforting. For a moment, the voice comforted her. What a silly thing. The last time she had felt this way, she had made a fool of herself at court, fled the meeting chambers and cried in her room until her own mother had come to reassure her. 

How trivial and childish and stupid she was. “Go away.” Seladon wouldn’t look at the gelfling that dared speak to her. 

“You should leave her here.” 

How-how dare-

Seladon pulled the childling closer to her chest as she stood up and turned. She would bring this gelfling to it’s knees to even daring to suggest such a terrible thing. “You will shut-Oh,” That was not a gelfling, “You’re a Mystic.” 

It was large, tall. As big as Skesis, with long hair and soft edges, and pale skin. It had fat fingers and four arms, and held a bow. And it looked sad, mournful already. “We should leave her here. I finally found you, but we have a schedule. And I must deliver you somewhere safe.” 

It, er he, began to turn away, taking slow steps towards the slopping dunes of Crystal desert.

“No, I-I can’t,” She looked down at the pale little face, “I need to bury her.”

He swung his head back to her on a long neck, “Send her to the sea.” 

“Is that how the Spriton send off their dead?” Seladon asked. She had spent so much time learning to be the next All-Maudra, the next leader of the Vapran clan, she worked so hard to cultivate political relationships with the other tribes, she had failed to learn the most important of rituals. She never learned a death ritual of non-Vaprans.

“I don’t know.” He arched a brow, “Settle your dead, but we must go. The Hunter will follow soon.” He turned back and began walking. “Hurry now.”

She stood there, and watched him slowly meander away into the sands, while she plodded to a small cluster of rocks. There was a low sitting flat rock that Seladon laid the little body on, still dressed in Seladon ‘s tunic, although there was a terrible wound, a mortal one, staining the center of it. The tall surrounding rocks protected this little pedestal, and the girl, from the harshness of the three brothers. The childling would be sheltered here forever more. 

She could only brush the girl’s long hair with her fingers before she gently braided a Vapran hair style in. It was one for childlings, before their coming of age ceremony. Seladon had braided Tavra’s hair enough after one of her flying stunts that would leave her looking like a fizzgig. Tavra used to beg Seladon to re-braid her hair so mother wouldn’t find out she was unprincess-like. 

When she was done, Seladon leaned over the girl and kissed her forehead. “Go back to Thra, Little one. It’ll protect you.” 

Where she could not.  
.  
.  
.  
Seladon pulled away, ripped her hands from the gelf on either side of her. She folded her fingers together over her stomach, and stared down at the table before her. “I-“ She whimpered, then covered her mouth with her hands. She sobbed, actually sobbed, and she didn’t expect it. She gasped and felt her body pulled and folded into Gurjin’s. Again. 

Her mother spoke, softly, but commanding, as mother always was, “We can stop for today.” She smiled, tried to. What little comfort she had, she was willing to give, but Seladon wouldn’t accept it. Didn’t deserve it. 

“No,” She coughed out, and tried to wipe away the tears, but more came. “Gurjin,” she cracked out. “enough, husband.” She took a few deep breathes, and only noted Orindak scuttle from the room in her periphery. “We should finish. Only a little more. So little.” She raised her palms again, wove her fingers in her husband’s and the Dousan heir’s hand. 

She just didn’t notice that her sister did not link up to dreamfast, that Tavra followed the Arathiam on silent feet.   
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.  
She followed the Mystic through the desert to a strange fortress at the top of a series of cliffs. He called it the Circle of the Suns. It was a hovel for Mystics, although empty to only them two. Hundreds of scrolls littered this place, fabrics covered parts of the floor and hung about, separating the great space into different rooms. 

Seladon sat on the floor, amongst fabrics and pillows where the Mystic settled next to her and silently doled out food and water between them both, as he did the last three nights they walked the crystal desert. They did not speak, and Seladon was so very grateful for this. 

However, he looked at her. All the time. Like he wanted to speak, but never tried, could not properly form the words or sentences. And she had to ask, Thra, she was going to sound like Brea. “Why did you help me?” 

“Because, Thra called me to.” 

“Why didn’t you help the girl?”

“I was not to help her to Thra. You were.” 

Seladon slowly turned towards the large creature and whispered, “I was sent to kill her?” 

“No. She was going to die, you simply brought her comfort and sent her off. All creatures of Thra deserve such dignities.” He grunted as he pushed himself to his feet and gracefully, if slowly, meandered to the other side of the stone hovel. “You should read.” He waved at the scrolls. “And there is a vapran dress, ah,” He shoved open a chest, “Somewhere. I can’t say my brothers are tidy.” He harrumphed. 

“Why did you help me?”

“You asked that question already.” 

She waited for his honest answer. The real reason. Waited and waited and-  
.  
.  
.  
When she woke up, beneath heavy blankets and in a bed of pillows, her whole body hurt and the brothers were dawning again. The Mystic was settled next to her, watching her with curious eyes. She just stared back, but didn’t say anything, not until the third brother rose. 

“May I have water?” 

He silently retrieved a water skin and helped her lean it back and drain it into her mouth. He helped her free herself from the heavy blankets where she stood on shaking legs. And he stared at her, “So, this is how it will end.” 

Her ears flicked down, “How what ends?” Her life?

“The conjunction, I always thought it had to do with planets or moons. The suns. We believed it would be the suns.” He shook his head. “And yet, the crystal has decided instead to transform.” 

What is he, “The crystal of truth is being held hostage by the Skeksis.” She sighed. Oh, the tragedy. For a thousand trine the Skeksis has held the most beloved thing, the heart of Thra, and abused it. And every single gelf allowed it to happen. What of all the other species of Thra that rose up against the Lords? Did they know better? Were the Gelfling directed to destroy other species by the Lords so they could always hold the Crystal? 

“No. You freed it. Your holding it.” 

Seladon opened her hands and raised them to him, “How?” 

He laughed, “You’re pregnant.” 

She scoffed. What, no. “I have never been touched.” 

“Didn’t have to.” He reached over and grabbed up a thin material, “I found the dress.” He dangled it before her. “Energy can be transferred, it can be transformed. It cannot be made or unmade.” He shrugged as she took the dress, “And the crystal is merely the form that contained that energy. It transferred that energy to you and began to take a different form, inside you.” 

Seladon was frozen, then dropped her hand to her stomach, where that twisting thing was. That twisting thing that had been with her so steadily, she barely noticed it in the last few days. “I’m pregnant?”

“Yes, something is growing inside you.” He smiled. It didn’t reach his eyes, “Here is a safe place for you to be. We always knew we would be raising a gelf here, just didn’t know which one.” He shrugged, then waved over his shoulder. “There is a little well, you’ll have to pump it, but you can get water to clean yourself. Then come read to me.” 

She held up the dress, it was larger than what she needed, but. If she was pregnant, then she needed to extra material. She balled it up and held it against her twisting stomach and followed the Mystic.   
.  
.  
.  
She hated pregnancy. It was uncomfortable at best, and in the eight and a one half unum, Seladon wandered at times if there was an arathiam in there. The kicks and punches and wiggles would come one after another. When the baby was most active, she could only watch and rub at her vibrating stomach. And she felt fluttering too. Perhaps wings. Perhaps a daughter. 

She did dream of a little pale haired girl, something small like Brea, sitting in her lap where she could read to her. She would teach her to fly, like Mother did. 

Would she have the same crooked and cripple wing that Seladon had? Or would it be like Tavra’s, able to take ridiculously tight angles and strong enough to knock someone of their feet in a fight? Would they tremble in excitement at some frivolous event in the many scrolls and books Seladon would give her, like Brea’s did.   
“You think loud.” UrVa rumbled. She smiled at him and sighed. She pulled her great big scarf over her shoulders against the strange chill the storm blew in. 

“There is a sand storm outside. There is nothing else to do.”

He rarely spoke to her, but she read to him all the time. He brought her books and scrolls. Left every unum and returned two days later with food goods. When he did speak for a long time, he spoke of time long past. Of hundred of trine ago. Of wars, or lands she never heard of and beasts she could not imagine. But he was kind, and that she took greedily. She pulled her sack over her shoulder, again full of scrolls and little things she would carry around the Circle of the Suns until she settle down to read. Inside, was also her circlet, the object that represented who she was.

No matter where she would tuck away, UrVa watched over her, unnervingly constant. There was a chest with a strange symbol, a triangle with a three pointed star within and another within that. And all about this was a circle with more triangles UrVa called the symbol an aureyal, but didn’t tell her what it meant, just unrolled a scroll across the lid and encouraged her to read it to him. 

A shiver swam over her vision, one of those she dreamfasted was trying to push through their joined thoughts. 

Then the black mass wavered at the edge of her vision. She looked up, to see the tall, vicious figure standing to his full height. SkekMal. She grabbed UrVa’s hand and used it to pull herself up, even as he dragged her behind him. 

Her ears didn’t work, or the two never spoke to each other in their little stand off. And Seladon didn’t stick around to watch it go. She reached for a small knife, the blade made of crystal from the desert. It wasn’t much, but there were no other weapons around. 

She kept it out as she ran towards a small window. She could fly out if- 

“Watch out!” UrVa yelled as he wretched the string of his bow back as the Hunter leapt over the Mystic, towards her. The arrow loosed and lodged into the Hunter’s side, sending him to the wall, then floor in a heap as he snarled. 

And UrVa grunted, cradled his side as if-as if he had been shot. 

“You and I can die here, together, but you cannot have her.” 

She stared at UrVa, as he pulled back another arrow, “I hoped we wouldn’t end this way.” 

We. 

We. 

He said we. 

Could it possibly be that the Monster and the Mystic were one and the same? 

She rolled over the window sill as she stuffed the knife in her back at her hip, into the dust storm, as she pulled her scarf over her face and into her eyes, but also, to free her wings. She spread her wing and let the storm grab her up, which was a lot harder given her state. She would fly as far as she could, to get away from them, it? The danger. She needed away from all of it, but even she had her limits in the sand storm, and began to breath in the fine dusts. 

She descended slow enough, after long enough, and was able to find an outcropping of crystals to hid behind. She would only stay until the storm ended.  
.  
.  
.  
Seladon died. 

She was sure she did, because no way on Thra would a Drenchen be standing over her in the middle of the driest part of the crystal desert. And yet, here he was, reaching down for her, placing her upon his covered wagon cart and giving her sips of water, “Only a little. Don’t make yourself sick.” He would warn. His hands ran over her squeezed her lower legs and wrist to elbow, then her wings. “You seem alright. Any pain? Any childling pains?” 

She shook her head. Her childling actually settled down, more so when he reached out very suddenly and pressed his open palm over the center of her stomach to be greeted by so many kicks. "I flew out when the storms started." He stared at her open mouthed.

"That storm lasted for three days. How did you survive?"

She shrugged. 

"Where are you from?" 

"No where. I need to find a new place to be." 

"Then come back to my home. It's gives plenty of resources." 

She only nodded to him, but Thra, he was excited, energized. "I'm Gurjin." He nearly hugged her, but seemed to get a hold of himself and awkwardly squeezed her hands. She didn’t push him away, "I'm," She couldn't tell her name. The Hunter would not be the only one looking for her if she stole the crystal. "Don. I'm Don." She nodded and took the offered water skin from him again. She just sipped the water and curled up in his wagon, and watched as he grabbed the wood bar in front of him and pulled, across the landscape. Seladon was in and out of rest, at one point she was dimly aware that they had entered a winding canyon, a well knonw maze the Drenchen threaded them through until they came to the Oasis at the end of the last brother’s light. 

He wanted her to go up the stone path, to his home in the cliff side, but she was too tired, instead shuffling to the water to take water into her hands and bring it to her mouth, before she just as pathetically roved to one of the trees nearby and settled down at the base. 

And so did he. He laid a small blanket over her, and sat down there. Humming. She missed that. She missed singing. She missed laughing. She missed being safe. Was it safe here? 

Only for a time. Then she would go. Then she would go.   
.  
.  
.  
She did not go. Oh Seladon, the Hunter will kill this gelf if you stay? She shook her head as she swept on the last of the dust through the doorway of Gurjin’s home, then walked out to the little overlook, where a pale canopy was affixed to a Sifan elder’s tent pole. The area was brightly colored, and where the two would find themselves in the dimness of the last brother as she cooked whatever he brought home. Whether from his little fields below, or fish, or goods he had brought back.

She cleaned his home, used mirrors and smooth metal sheets and discs and plates, anything reflective that she could find, and set them up to bring light into his home. And he would sing as they worked, ballads, or hymns. Melodies she knew and some he probably made up. 

And one she always liked, about gong to bed, about rising when other’s just as good didn’t. It was sad, but there was hope in it. That all would be well, and one would return. 

She sat under the canopy, and leaned over the little rock wall he built, to watch him below. He was shirtless as he lifted a great clay jug up and shambled to the water fall. She eyes the bulging sinewy that coiled beneath green skin. He really was quiet lovely, and the hormones of pregnancy and her own isolation, left her wanting for touch. Although, she was unsure if she wanted it platonically or more. Would he want more if she opened that door? 

Gurjin leaned from the little trail that went behind the water fall, as far as she knew, he kept his field and crop tools back there, now he tried to fill the massive jug up and-

Pounding water caught the lip of the jug with such a force that both were dragged then flipped out into the water where both sank. Seladon covered her mouth to quell the scream, and waited, her breath held. 

His head popped above the surface a string of curses loosing as he climbed out and grabbed up large broken pieces of the jug. 

Her laughter started low, in her stomach where it tickled her childling as she fluttered her wings about, and they rolled up and out of her. She tried to smother them, and couldn’t look away as he trudged out of the water, grabbed another jug and tried to gather water with much greater success to deposit the water into his purifier. He had become obsessed with purifying the water for her labor and the birth of her daughter.

She did catch his eye then, and he waved at her, mustering the biggest smile she had ever seen on a gelfling. She sighed and rested her hand on her stomach to rub out a little cramp. She was beginning the cramps and contractions that marked the beginning of the process that would bring her child into this world. 

Later that night, when Gurjin had curled up on the floor next to the bed, after he fed her a second plate of food, insistent that she eat heartily, she shuffled down the thing twisting path to the water below. Then slowly and carefully she waded out into the water, towards the deep end where Gurjin warned her away from, her sack bag on her hip. When she was at the edge, She reached in and pulled out herr silver circlet. 

Her crown, her authority as daughter of the All-Maudra and heir to the clan, perhaps all the clans. It was designed by her mother specifically, and her father gave up his crown to provide the metal for this piece. It was this piece that her sisters crowns mimicked. And-and-

She squeaked as she tossed it and she watched it plop into the water. She was no longer Princess Seladon, Daughter of the All-Maudra. And she didn't know if she could ever be such a thing again.   
.  
.  
.  
Seladon broke the dreamfast here. The birth of her childling. The romance and subsequent mating with her husband were hers and hers alone. Those memories and thought and feelings she selfishly tucked away. 

The Maudras were quiet, their morose faces peered at her from around the table. “I know that symbol.” 

Oh, no. Oh, no, no. No! “Brea!” Seladon turned to her youngest sister, standing just between Seladon and the Dousan heir. “You were not to see that.” But she pulled the younger close, and wiped her sister’s tears away with her thumbs. “Oh little one.” 

“I have seen that symbol. It’s the symbol of unity. I had a vison of it before I went to try and find you.” 

"Then it will be our symbol for the war." Maudra Fara raised her voice from across the table. All the gelfling turned to her as she held aloaft the silver peice fo the crown and brought it down to the table where it thunk. Then she slid it across the wood. "Stone in the Wood will stand in unity." The silver metal slid all the way to Seladon where she caught. She stared wide eye at the peice, her face heating with an untamable fire. 

"Maudra Fara," Sealdon trembled, "I am not a Maudra-"

"I abdicate." Mother cut in quickly, she took the crown base that would hold the six other piece across the table to her eldest daughter. "And we both know Tavra will not want the title or the duty." 

Seladon left her mouth open. another piece of the crown slid to her and stopped against her knuckle from Laesid, her mother-in-law. "I will not abandon my son, not when I just got him back. And since you are his family too, I will bring my people to support you."

Then another piece. "Very few have braved a sand storm and lived." The Dousan Maudra spoke up, "I cannot say whether I wish us to fight or flee, but I will stand united with the rest of the clans on whatever decision the All-Maudra will come to."

"Nor a sea storm," Young Maudra Ethri added, giving her own piece, "Although, I still cannot decide if your actions at the strait were strength or stupid luck." She waved her hand, "You have our sails." 

Argot grunted and cleared her throat, "All you gelfling think the Grottan are creatures of blackness and shadow," She sniffed at the metal piece of the split crown, "Not that we seek the light in the darkness, the truest forms of light, but we gelfling have been in the dark for too long." She slide the piece to Seladon. "Your little hidden Moon has brought true light."

Maudra Mera leaned over the table to look at Seladon with a ruddy tear stained face, “You have treated mine as your own, even in death,” She offered the piece directly to her hand, “For that, I will conceded to a unified front.” 

What to say, what should she do. The disassembled crown’s pieces, everyone, laid in a pile before her. Her heart beat fast as she stared down at the most terrible duty. She trained her whole life to be All-Maudra, she had given up her place, she had become wife and mother. And now, with the full weight of the world, and a war on the horizon, she was handed the control of the entire Gelfling Empire. 

Thra help her. 

“Seladon.” Tavra whispered from next to her, her hand on her shoulder. When Seladon glanced at her, she gasped and choked on this breath. Tavra’s pale eyes had darkened to the strangest of dark golds, nearly brown, “The Ascendency stands with you.” 

“Tavra, what has happened to you?” Seladon cupped the side of her face, she felt warm and alive to the touch. 

“The Ascendency, the Arathiam, needed a new queen. A strong mind to hold them together. I accepted their proposal to be such.”


	9. Smut, just smut. No plot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This was for me. I wanted this. SMUT...only smut. No plot
> 
> I swear only plot will happen next chapter. Next chapter will be posted next sunday morning. 
> 
> Stay safe everybody.

Gurjin broke the surface of the water, eyes wide. His gaze fell upon the series of rocks in the shallow waters, where many vapran settled. Spriton and sifa were frolicking around them as well, but at the center of his gaze was his wife between her sisters. Ira was settled against Brea’s chest as Seladon leaned back with a grin, her mother’s hand on her shoulder. She seemed lighter, for the moment, amongst her family. 

Did he not make her happy enough? 

Something pinched him and he swirled around and- oh for Thra’s sake, “Naia, you could just say my name instead of abuse me.” 

“Oh, don’t whine,” She rolled her eyes and pulled herself onto a rocky ledge sitting mostly out of the water. “So tell me, the banished Vapran princess.” 

“I found her in the desert, alone and weak. She had to have gone without.” He frowned at that, “And she was terrified. She let me put her in my wagon and I brought her here.” She ate so little at a time when he fed her, he ended making food six times a day and would always scrape food of his plate until she stopped him. “Naia, she was so thin. I tried to feed her all the time.” Gurjin returned his eyes to her, “I was afraid she would not be strong enough to birth.” 

Don waved at him, then rolled up to her feet. She turned, arms opened for Ira who tossed herself into Don’s arms, before his wife waded into the water. Don’s skirts were tied in a knot at her knees to keep it out of the water as she approached them, Ira held against her side. 

Gurjin threw himself back into the deeper water and dove to the bottom, amongst the sand and the reef and stone covered with moss and corals. There, having died, having been left as debris at the end of one’s life and beginning of their travel back to Thra, were two glistening objects. The two halves of a shell. And one other item which he tucked against the rope that held his pants up. He needed all three. 

Gurjin kicked off to the surface, to his wife.   
And there she was, watching the water, waiting with his sister. They spoke to each other, nothing he could hear, and all before he broke the surface with his prizes. He offered them up to her, he wanted to give her all the pretty things he could find. Don stared them and- “For you.” 

“Gurjin,” She smiled and rested her free hand on his wrist. She gently took the two shells and eyed them, even Ira reached for them. “What would I do with this?”

“Put in on our table. Or, or…” Oh, Thra, what would they do with this? “It’s pretty. And I want to give you pretty things.” 

Naia scoffed, “Thra, Your disgusting in love.” She dropped into the water where she kicked away.

Don smiled, and shook her head, “Okay, Husband. I’ll do something with these pretty things.” She meandered to a large flat rock and sat down with Ira in her lap and the shell next to her. Gurjin climbed out, and followed her and- “Is something wrong?” He looked down, only his pants were on, his shirt had been abandoned on the rocks the moment Naia challenged him to a race to the water.

“Nothing, I’m just enjoying the view.” And she didn, her eyes continued to rove over him, and for a moment he wondered if he should be arounsed or feel objectified. Oh Thra, it was the former, he hoped none of the other gelfling saw him practically popping a boner for his wife. He joined her near the rocks, but knelt back into the water, mostly to hid his affection, and rub his fingers over her feet, ankles and up to her knees. His messaged the tough skin on the bottom of her feet and the muscles behind her knees. 

She hummed and Gurjin flickered his ears forward. It was nice to see her relax for the first time today. “I didn’t know, how bad things were.” How could he protect her any more than he already had? His weapons and armor were just inside the library. He should have dug up the blades sooner. “But,” Gurjin set her feet in his lap, “I’ll always be here, for whatever you need.”

“Oh Gurjin,” She cupped the side of her face, Thra she was warm, “I should have shared all that with you when we mated, but” She shrugged as she ran her soft thumb over his lower lip. He kissed it, tried to captured it between his lips only. Thra he should have licked at her. She leaned back and looked down at Ira who wiggled every which way. Don had been pulling her dress down to coax Ira onto her breast, but their childling seemed to have to interest in extra food. 

“Is she okay?” Gurjin wanted to take his daughter who was lurching forward towards him with flailing arms. Her face was starting to turn red.

“I don’t know. She’s been fed and burped. She’s doesn’t need to be changed,” Don sighed, “My breasts are more swollen today, and I thought she would eat more, maybe that would put her to sleep. But she only seems tame when she is held and walked around.” Don lifted her feet of his lap and stood up, leaving the shells on the rocks as she offered out her hand, “Come on husband. I’ll need your help.” 

Gurjin took it. He would always take her hand. He dragged himself up and out of the water, to stand tall before he wife. Gurjin lurched forward and kissed her, “I love you.” He mumbled. She arched a brow tip toed and cupped his face with one hand. She squeezed with more force then he expected and Gurjin stumbled as his strong little wife pulled him down to her. Her lips sealed to his, bit at his lower lip, and suckled. 

He wrapped his arms around her, under her wings, and held her close, but careful of their daughter and Don;s unfortunate milk situation. Still he could feel the flutter of her pulse as he held her. She pulled away and with a twist, pulled from his arms. But she grabbed his hand and pulled him along. 

“Come, come.” She quipped as she pulled him along, and-and did he remember to breath? She only stopped when she stopped by her Mother where she settled the little baby against her grand-mere’s chest. 

The older woman smiled down at the little one, and scooted over a little on her rock for Fara and his mother. It was odd seeing the Maudras in a more relaxed position. Gurjin could only think of the royals as political rivals, of the meetings mother and Naia would argue through, even discussing them at the table seemed to sound like war plans to Gurjin. 

“Come, come.” Don dragged him away, grabbed his hand with both of hers this time, and pulled him up the path to their home. At least it was away from the masses a little. Except, as they ascended, Gurjin took in the high reaching Arathiam nests that had several flittering gelfling women settling into them alongside the crawling creatures. Honestly, it was wonderful that the two species seemed to be settling together so well and – “Oh, Thra.” Gurjin nearly tripped as Seladon tugged harder, moved faster and her tripped twi-three times, “Slow down, my love.” 

“I can’t,” She was vibrating, even her wings fluttered in excitement as she let go of him and shoved their door to their home open. 

As the second brother set, Gurjin stepped over the threshold and – “Holy Thra.” His eyes were not big enough. And he needed to close his mouth. 

Don’s dress and under clothes were all puddled about her feet as she stood before him. Her breasts were so swollen, they had begun to redden around her dark areolas, and she cupped under them, her thumb gently rubbing back and forth. “Come here, love. I need your help.” 

He needed to get his pants off without tripping.

She giggled, her red cheeks, darkening, “You kinda rolled out of it last time. I’m sure you’ll be fine.” Gotta stop talking out loud. 

He practically jumped the space and wrapped his arms around her, rolling his fingers over her shoulders then down her back towards her soft cheeks. “Wait.” She gasped, “I need to you help me first. They really do hurt.” 

She stepped out of her clothes and moved towards the kitchen, where she stood in front of one of the shined reflective plates they used to reflect the sun into their home. Gurjin stepped over to the bed, reached for the window above it and propped the shutter open to let the sun light up all the aligning plates. 

“Oh!” He turned back to Don who reached for a pan, but the position and the light gave him a perfect view of her. He closed in behind her, pressed his chest against her vibrating wings and hooked his chin over her shoulder. Carefully, Gurjin lifted his hands to cup her swollen breasts, but the moment he touched them, her nipples produced a few lovely milk droplets. “Want me to take care of you?” He kissed at her ear as she rolled her head back to his shoulder and gave a soft, m’hm.

More milk eased out, dribbled over their fingers, his gently kneaded her hot, soft skin as hers rested over his, the pan completely forgotten. She gave little moans, although they sounded more pained then when he pleasured her, but she started to arch her back and rolled herself against his pants front. Thra, why was their fabric between his wife and him? 

He kissed the side of her face, then her ear, licking down her neck to nibble at her shoulder as her arching pressed her breasts more into his hands. He squeezed too hard, and they both froze to stare at the milk droplets sprayed over the mirror. 

Don laughed. Covered her mouth with one of her milk soaked hands and snorted into it to smother her laughs. His hands returned to her breast, but she just waved his hand away, “Take your pants off.” 

He only had to pull on his waist belt end for the knot to come free and they fell away, something solid thunked to the floor, wrapped in his pants, but he would deal with that later. Gurjin took himself into one hand and guided himself toward her, “A-are you ready-I-I mean do you want me too.”

“Yes, if it gets you into me. Yes.” She nodded, presenting her backside more and-and he found her wet warmth. 

“You feel like velvet.” Gurjin hummed as he prodded gently at her opening, but she sighed and pressed back, taking him in. 

“Mine.” Seladon whimpered as her hand, still over his, began squeezing at her breast. He leaned over her, both his hands returned to her soft skin as his hips rocked forward. Shivers ran down his spin and he hummed. 

“Thra, I’m not long for this.” Gurjin pressed as far as he could get, get as close to her as possible. She whimpered, arched more to adjust them both. As he pulled away, he stared at the vision of his wife in the mirror. Her eyes were closed, brows pulled down and mouth open as she breathed and whined. He pressed back into her wetness, slowly, making sure that she was ready for him. 

“You sound like you are dying.” Her voice was low, guttural. Thra, she sounded so-gone. He moved and rolled, hands roving over her breasts, messaging and carefully rolling her nipples with his thumb. Her moans were small, but she gripped him tightly as he pressed into her, to a point that Gurjin worried he wouldn’t be able to move. Still, he slipped out, dropped his hands from her breasts, grabbed her hips and dragged her back onto him. Her wings started to spread as they rocked, fluttering little bits at a time and she knocked over a line of spices off the nearby counter. 

The pan next to Don was forgotten, not a drop of milk in it, instead it all dribbled down Seladon and dripped to the floor or on the mirror that she now leaned against as he rocked harder into her. So warm. So, so warm and wet and soft. Gurjin grunted low as he looked over her, wings fluttering, balancing precariously on the mirror. A mess of milk. Arching her back and rolling her hips as she took him in and hooked her chin over her shoulder to look at him. 

Utterly divine. 

Gurjin bent down and bit into the muscles between her wings, and- 

“Oh, Thra!” Don cried, her body tightening on him. He didn’t let go of her as he angled his hips down and thrust rather hard, afraid int eh after thought, that he hurt her as she flailed herself out, wings freezing. He had bumped something, not hard, spongy would be a better word, with the tip of him. It was as small area, and he had to keep the odd angle to press upon it with himself. Whatever it was, she started to squeal at his thrusts, and she got so much wetter, he felt the slickness drip between, sliding down his inner thighs, but he felt her own thighs begin to tremble and heat ran up and down his legs. Or…or hers. 

Gurjin pulled away, mouth and cock, much to the aggervated groan of his wife, before he took her by the shoulders and led her to their bed. He laid her on her back, her wings splayed out. Her hair was a mess, and her cheeks to her chest were red as a rich fruit. As was the area between her thighs. He needed to get back to that. And her whole body was sheened in sweat. Beneath the window where the light laid across the entirety of her body and her silver and lavender body glowed, even their sheets were illuminated by her halo. He stood over her, at the foot of the bed, taking in her form. 

IF there never was a goddess as lovely as Don. Both of thems frose, her breath held as tightly as his, and for three beats, he only took her in. “I wish you could see how lovely you are.” 

She giggled low, “Come here husband, finish ravishing me.” Thra, she had a filthy mouth. 

“Should I use my mouth to finish you?” He offered, but she shook her head, opened her arms and wiggled her fingers. 

“No,” She sighed into his ear as he climbed over her, hugged her to him, and slipped back in. Still so wet. “No, I need your seed.” She groaned out. “I need to orgasm with you to accept it.”

Gurjin froze, “You said you want to wait.” She wrapped her legs around his waist and held him tight.

“Please Gurjin, I’m so close.” She squeezed her muscles inside and with a new found vigor, Gurjin rolled and rocked into her, into that spongy spot again. He reached up, found her hands and pressed the over her head, where their fingers folded together. 

Slipping into the dreamfast was so easy, even as their body continued the frantic, heart pounding movements. They shared their air, and he wasn’t sure whose vocal cords vibrated through moans, and his insides trembled, or hers did, but heat coalesced at the base of their spines, both looking waiting for that little crack, that little stream that would give way. And fire, he felt like there was a fire between them both, it was small and warm, but it was getting so hot so quickly and- 

She was quivering, her thighs, her wings, Thra, her womb. Then her back arched off the bed, into his body as that fire snapped the heat at the base of her spine and he gave two little thrusts. He must have sounded pathetic when he gave over his seed, rippling over her body as he also attempted down to crush her. 

He already felt their fluids slid out of her, was there too much or, or-Gurjin pulled away, shifting to her side even as she tried to wretch him on top of her again, but he replaced his flaccid member with his hand, trying to keep his seed inside her. 

Gurjin licked his lips as he looked at her, everyone of his muscles shaking with effort to hold himself up. “Why now?” 

Don’s eyes were already closed, still sucking in great lung fulls of air, “Because we have our sisters, and I forgot how wonderful siblings are.” She made a disgruntled noise, “Even when they make sure to disobey you.” Don swallowed, “There’s only a couple trine between Tavra and I. More for Brea. But I loved bing an older sister. Before my duties as heir to the Vapran clan got in the way. I want Ira to have that, to have siblings that would stand with her through thick and thin.” 

Gurjin sighed, “I love you so much.” She started laughing. “Also I should tell you, almost every woman in my family has had multi-child births.” 

Don cut her eyes over to him, mouth open in surprise, then, “Why in Thra’s name didn’t you tell me?”

“Naia and I are twins.” 

“Gurjin!”


End file.
